There are many types of white collar crimes that can occur, but not all of these are overly obvious. One thing that is easy to forget when you hear about these matters is that they typically have to involve intentional deceit and are likely motivated by the desire to benefit the person financially. Many of these are scams or have a basis in fraud.
Money laundering is one white collar crime that is often heard in the news. This occurs when a person who is earning money illegally finds ways to route money through a legal method of earning money so that it appears the money isn’t “dirty.” For example, a drug kingpin might route their money through a nightclub to make it look like it was earned through the legal business.
Another common white collar crime, and one that has been associated with some celebrities, is tax evasion. This is a bit different from tax fraud, but both can have serious consequences. Tax evasion occurs when you purposefully don’t file a tax return. Tax fraud occurs when you make false statements on a tax return you file.
Fraud charges can vary greatly, and they are classified according to what the fraud entailed. For example, mortgage fraud can include an applicant lying on the application or a loan officer making misstatements in order to get the mortgage approved. It can also include individuals trying to obtain mortgages on properties that don’t exist or for people who don’t exist.
If you are charged with a white collar crime, you need to start planning your defense right away. These cases often have a lot of paperwork involved, so you need time to determine the options you have for addressing the paper trail.