White-collar crime is a nonviolent crime committed for financial gain. According to the FBI, a key agency that investigates these offenses, these crimes are characterized by deceit, concealment, or violation of trust.
The motivation for these crimes is "to obtain or avoid losing money, property, or services or to secure a personal or business advantage.
Examples of white-collar crimes include securities fraud, embezzlement, corporate fraud, and money laundering. In addition to the FBI, entities that investigate white-collar crime include the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), and state authorities.
White-collar crime has been associated with the educated and affluent ever since the term was first coined in 1949 by sociologist Edwin Sutherland, who defined it as a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation.
White-collar workers historically have been the shirt and tie set, defined by office jobs and management, and not getting their hands dirty.
This class of workers stands in contrast to blue-collar workers, who traditionally wore blue shirts and worked in plants, mills, and factories.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/investment-terms--4432332/support.