White-collar crime includes a variety of frauds, schemes, and commercial offenses by business people, confidence men and public officials; it encompasses a wide range of non-violent offenses that have cheating as the central element, often with the goal of obtaining money. It can also be to hide other acts of the company, such as dumping of toxic waste in an area that later suffered from health issues. In addition, employees can also serve as the victims in these cases if they lose their positions due to the crimes committed by others.
Some of the most common examples include the following:
- Bribery, which is defined as the act of giving money or other gifts to sway the favor of the recipient.
- Consumer fraud is the act of deceiving the consumer into paying for what appears to be a legitimate good or service to the offender’s benefit.
- Stock manipulation is sometimes also called market manipulation. It is the act of changing the appearance of a market in a manner that contradicts reality and undermines the free market.
- Antitrust violations occur when businesses from work together to fix prices, eliminate competition, and commit other acts that would (like stock manipulation) undermine the free market.
- Bankruptcy fraud occurs when the process of bankruptcy is falsified in some form. The most common of these are the filing of a misleading bankruptcy form, concealing assets that should be paid back, filing bankruptcy forms multiple times and bribing an authority to recognize a false form
- Corporate/securities fraud: “Corporate fraud” acts as a general or “blanket” term that encompasses many or even all types of misleading or illicit behavior carried out by a corporation. On the other hand, securities fraud is the act of persuading an investor to sell or buy stocks based on false information.
- Health care fraud is the act of receiving or attempting to receive unneeded health care for one’s own gain. It is committed by falsifying medical conditions to receive some sort of treatment or compensation that can be exchanged for profit or another personal benefit.
- Identity theft is the theft/ impersonation of another person’s identity for one’s own gain. It is most typically committed by using someone else credit cards, identification, social security number, or other personal information.
- Insurance fraud occurs when one purposefully commits an act to reap insurance benefits outside of one’s entitled circumstances. An example of this is damaging one’s own car in a circumstance that appears to be from outside factors to gain insurance compensation.
- Money laundering is the act of hiding or attempting to hide the sources of money gained illegally to avoid detection.
- Mortgage fraud occurs when one receives a mortgage loan where one should not or receives a larger loan than one deserves. It is committed through fraudulent actions with regard to mortgages such as lying on forms or misrepresenting credentials.
- Telemarketing fraud occurs via misleading or false sales that take place over the phone. This type of white-collar crime often takes on a wide variety of forms, such as small charges that accumulate without prior customer knowledge or even direction to false products over the telephone.
Speak with a Boston Criminal Lawyer 617-512-0939
To speak with a highly experienced Boston white collar crime lawyer, contact us online or telephone Francis T. O’Brien, Jr. at O’Brien Law Boston twenty four hours, seven days a week, toll free at 617-512-0939. There is no fee charged to discuss your case, and all information furnished will be kept strictly confidential.
The Parker | Scheer LLP Criminal Practice Group is led by Boston Criminal Lawyer Francis T. O’Brien Jr. who defends criminal cases in Boston and throughout Massachusetts. Criminal Courts served include Cambridge District Court, Cambridge, MA – Boston Municipal Court, Boston, MA – Brockton District Court, Brockton, MA – Framingham District Court, Framingham, MA – Waltham District Court, Waltham, MA.
Contact Boston Criminal Lawyer Francis T. O’Brien Jr. of Parker | Scheer LLP today at 617-512-0939.