Qué es el delito de cuello blanco?

A crimen de cuello blanco Es un tipo de delito no violento. A menudo, la motivación es financiera. Typically, white-coll criminals have a position of power in a company that commands compensation above the average salary. 

In the 1930s, criminologist Edwin Sutherland coined the term. He used the phrase to describe crimes that people of high social status committed. Prior to this introduction to the concept, people often believed that upper-class individuals weren’t capable of criminal acts. 

Blue Collar or White Collar Crime: What’s the Difference?

Oftentimes the difference between blue-collar and crimen de cuello blanco surge del tipo de acceso que tiene la persona. Por ejemplo, los delitos obreros tienden a ser más sencillos y directos. Esto incluye robo, robo, etc. Because they lack access to corporate information, it’s more difficult for them to commit high-level fraud. 

On the other hand, a white-collar criminal tends to have more access to this information and the systems involved. For instance, a loan officer at a bank has access to a broad spectrum of records, information, and systems. 

With this access, they have the potential to commit widespread, complicated schemes. 

Tipos comunes de delitos de cuello blanco

White-collar crime is an umbrella term, As such, it encompasses a broad array of offenses. Let’s look at a few of the more common forms of these crimes. 

Uso de información privilegiada

When someone commits insider trading, they act with the benefit of knowledge that is not public. This knowledge gives them an advantage in financial markets. For instance, an investment banker knows about a forthcoming acquisition between two companies: A and B. 

With this knowledge, they buy stock in Company B because they expect it to rise once this knowledge becomes public. This gives them an unfair advantage over other investors. 

Robo de identidad y delitos cibernéticos

Identity robo and hacking are the top two computer crimes. Across the United States, experts estimate that losses from identity robo totaled almost $2 billion in a single year. With over 73,000 cases, California has the most reported cases of any state in the US. 

fraude

As crimen de cuello blanco is an umbrella term, so is fraud. It covers a handful of different schemes people use to defraud others of their assets. One common example of fraud is when someone claims to send another person a lot of money. However, that individual first needs to send a smaller amount. 

For instance, they may claim that they have access to an inheritance. However, to gain access, they need $300 to afford some processing fee. When the person sends them money, they never receive what was promised to them. 

Esquema Ponzi

This form of crimen de cuello blanco gets its name from Charles Ponzi, the original perpetrator. This scam is an investment scheme in which someone offers investors high returns on a project. As the person finds a new client, they pay off the initial investors. 

This continues until they no longer have the ability to attract the clients they need to pay off older ones. Cuando esto sucede, todo el esquema colapsa. This leaves many of the investors with massive losses. 

Malversación de fondos

La malversación de fondos cubre el robo y el hurto. It ranges from an employee who steals a few dollars out of a cash register to complex schemes. In more complicated cases, the employee transfers millions of dollars out of company accounts. 

One popular example of this is in the plot of the movie Office Space. A group of employees attempts to set up a program that transfers fractions of cents out of company accounts over time. However, they accidentally set up one massive transfer. 

Lavado de Dinero

As far as crimen de cuello blanco goes, money laundering is essential for those who deal in large amounts of cash. Through this act, someone funnels cash through different accounts and eventually into a legitimate business. 

At that point, it intermingles with genuine revenue, making the illegal source harder to identify. 

falsificación

In order to combat counterfeiting efforts, many currencies are now more detailed and colorful. With modern technology, older forms of currency were easy to duplicate. However, the results remain to be seen as technology continues to advance on both sides. 

Espionaje

When we think of espionage or spying, we often think of James Bond or international spies working to uncover information. Yet, we don’t think of it as a crimen de cuello blanco very often. 

However, when it involves corporations, it is definitely a crimen de cuello blanco. For instance, an agent of a foreign government or competitive company might seek out information or technology from a company. 

One tactic is to approach an employee at that company. The “spy” offers to pay them a large sum in exchange for a prototype, copy of a document, etc. 

Clasificaciones de delitos de cuello blanco

Oftentimes, these crimes fall into two categories. 

Delitos corporativos

Some white-collar criminals act at a corporate level, as a group. For instance, a firm may encourage or simply allow employees to engage in insider trading. As they use private information to gain an advantage, it boosts their profits. 

Money laundering is another common crime conducted at a corporate level. 

Delitos individuales

At the individual level, a person or group acts outside of a corporation. For instance, one person might build out a Ponzi scheme. Alternativamente, se podría formar un grupo para comprometerse delitos cibernéticos colectivamente. 

Other individual crimes commonly include hacking, counterfeiting, and dozens of fraud schemes.

Revisión legal para delitos de cuello blanco

When you face charges for a crimen de cuello blanco, it’s essential to gain legal representation. con un Abogado defensor penal de Houston on your side, you have an advocate to protect your rights and freedom. 

If you or a loved one currently faces white-collar criminal charges, contact the Martinez Law Firm for a free legal consultation. To build a strong defense, you need an experienced attorney. 

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