Rise of White Collar Crime in the U.S.

¶ … FBI website section that addresses white-collar crime and research a noted white-Collar scam. What are the basic elements of the scam along with some tips to avoid becoming a victim?

One common white collar crime scam is that of the 'utilities person' scam. To gain entry to a house, the criminal "impersonates utilities employees by wearing jumpsuits with name tags. Actor approaches victim with story about a gas leak or electrical surge to gain entry to the home. Valuables are taken by actor" ("Types and schemes of white collar crime," National Check Fraud Center.). People may be caught off guard by the entry and since sometimes actual utilities personnel will need to obtain entry to the home homeowners may be overly credulous and not demand appropriate identification. However, when utilities companies do need entry to the home, the homeowner is alerted to this fact by the company well in advance. Homeowners should always demand a phone number for verification from the utility if an unexpected worker comes to the door demanding entry.

Unlike some white collar crimes which have grown obsolete thanks to modern technology, this crime is still alive and well, particularly amongst criminals who prey upon the elderly. Recently, the Akron Police Department reported a theft "in which a man posing as a water department employee was allowed into the residence. Once invited in, the alleged utility worker escorted the resident around the condo, checking various utility faucets and appliances. While preoccupying the victim, another suspect entered the residence and removed cash and valuables" ("Akron police say scam artists posing as utility workers," WKYC). This is a not-atypical scenario which could have been prevented by the homeowner calling the utility or even simply by securing her residence while exploring the supposed leak with the fake worker.

Q2. Why is white-collar crime on the rise while several other categories of crime are statistically declining?

Technology has made the ability to commit crime vastly easier. For example, if someone needs to fence stolen merchandise, he or she can do so on eBay or via other online transactions rather than endure the physical risks of doing so 'in real life.' Persons who might not otherwise wish to take the risk of committing a crime because of fears of violence on the streets might think nothing of engaging in identity theft, credit card fraud, or 'phishing.' Virtually everyone needs to have a cell phone and a credit card to be functional in modern society and this means there is exponentially more data out there for white collar criminals to hack. Security breaches at a number of Internet websites such as Gmail, Facebook, and AOL highlight the vulnerability of users online.