White-Collar & Organized Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

White-Collar & Organized Crime - Essay Example However, white collar crime has evolved since the late 1930’s. White collar crime no longer needs to be in an occupational setting. Technological advancements have provided a new gateway for crimes to be committed. Historically white collar crime was associated with organized crime. Many people associate the mafia with white collar crimes. Through the use of the mafia members demonstrated power over others to achieve their economic advancements. This was further emphasized through government corruption. During the 1920’s it was not uncommon for mafia family members to bribe officials. Moreover, many individuals feared mafia family members and would not testify against them if they had witnessed a crime (Cornell University, n.d.). During this era determining the identity was easier of the victim was easier as technology was not readily available. Current white collar crimes often do not know their victims as many crimes take place online. However, these crimes do not necessarily need to occur online for the criminal to not know his victim. For example, the Enron Scandal caused significant harm to the stock market and all employees and share-holders within this company. The Enron executives could not have identified every possible person they harmed when committing their crimes. Although the Enron scandal happened approximately nine years ago many other businesses have committed similar acts. However, these acts may not be as extreme as the Enron scandal. According to the United States Department of Justice (2006), â€Å"In 2005, among 7,818 businesses 67% exhibited one cyber crime.† Moreover calculating the exact number of cyber crimes is often hard to determine. In the research by the United States Department of Justice most businesses did not report the cyber crimes to authorities. 2. White collar crime attempts to accomplish many of the same characteristics as organized crime. Although organized crime has declined the number of white collar