Legal Definitions - white-collar crime

White-collar crime refers to a category of nonviolent offenses typically committed by individuals in business or professional settings. These crimes involve deceit, misrepresentation, or a breach of trust, usually for financial gain. They often exploit the perpetrator's position of power, knowledge, or influence within an organization or industry.

Here are some examples illustrating white-collar crime:

• Example 1: A pharmaceutical company executive knowingly falsifies data from drug trials to make a new medication appear more effective and safer than it truly is, rushing it to market to boost company profits.

  Explanation: This illustrates white-collar crime because it's a nonviolent act of dishonesty (falsifying data) committed within a professional context (pharmaceutical industry) for financial gain (increased profits from drug sales). It involves a breach of trust with the public and regulatory bodies.

• Example 2: A real estate agent creates shell companies to buy properties at low prices, then resells them to their own clients at inflated prices without disclosing their personal involvement, thereby pocketing the difference.

  Explanation: This fits the definition as it's a nonviolent crime involving deceit (undisclosed self-dealing) and a breach of fiduciary duty (to clients) in a commercial matter (real estate transactions), primarily for the agent's financial benefit.

• Example 3: An employee at a large tech company uses their access to confidential customer data to sell email lists and personal information to marketing firms on the dark web.

  Explanation: This is a white-collar crime because it's a nonviolent misuse of a professional position (employee access) and a breach of trust (confidentiality agreement) for personal financial gain, involving dishonesty in a commercial context (selling data).