White collar crime prosecutions fall as offences rise

The number of white collar crime prosecutions in the UK fell by 12 per cent between 2015 and 2016, despite a 4 per cent increase in the number of reported offences. Figures sourced by Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, show a trend of falling white collar crime prosecutions since 2011. Pinsent Masons' corporate …

[Aitor 1]

Corruption

I would say that rather than lack of money it is just corruption..

[Red Bren]

Privilege

It's only a crime of a poor person did it

[Cuddles]

Not surprising

"Online fraud was the most commonly-reported offence"

Given that online fraud can be carried out by anyone anywhere in the world as long as they have access to the internet, it's hardly surprising that the police aren't able to prosecute anyone over most incidents. It would be much more meaningful to look at the rates of crime and prosecutions for actual white collar crimes, rather than lumping them together with everyone who sent money to a Nigerian prince.

[lglethal]

Re: Not surprising

Was just about to say the same thing! Can we see the figures for White collar crime WITHOUT the online fraud component chucked in? Then we could make an actual comparison....

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: Not surprising

"Can we see the figures for White collar crime WITHOUT the online fraud component chucked in?"

Or at least without those where the suspect is outside the jurisdiction.

[Mark 85]

Re: Not surprising

Or at least without those where the suspect is outside the jurisdiction.

Therein is the issue.. jurisdiction. Some countries do a mostly good job of co-operating with other countries in this matter. Some, like China and Russia stonewall it at every chance. If the crimes start hitting those two countries hard, then perhaps, meaningful co-operation might result and internet crime could actually decrease.

Icon: For hope that someday, countries and law enforcement will be able to co-operate.

[Nolveys]

Police Don't Care About White Collar Crime

I did work for a psychopath accountant briefly. I later found out that he had set up a pyramid scheme and was bilking people out money left, right and centre.

Dozens of people who were out around $100k-$200k per pop couldn't get the police to lift a finger. They tried for years and years with absolutely no interest from either the police or the crown.

At some point the accountant decided to up his game and hit some big Bay Street (Toronto) outfit for a few million. Through luck someone who had been previously ripped off got wind of this new scam and called someone at the Bay Street company. Suddenly the police were interested in the accountant. He was arrested, tried and walked away with a slap on the wrist.

I was talking with a lawyer I know about the above and he said he wasn't at all surprised. He told me that in the years leading up to 2007/8 there had been billions of dollars of mortgage fraud in Alberta. He then said "It's not like it's hard to prosecute that stuff. You just go to the land registry office, pay the $5 and that's it, all the evidence you need. It's all right there! However, the police and the crown are only interested in prosecuting bar fights it seems."

[John Smith 19]

to up his game and hit some big Bay Street (Toronto) outfit for a few million.

Remember the PCL-R was developed in Canada, and it's originator thought he'd have some interesting results if he'd studied the Vancouver stock exchange, rather than the maximum security prison he did.

[NorbertNarc]

Scandal of police resources

There is a real scandal here. The police have stripped their economic crime departments to counter the urgent issue of terrorism, so that the City of London will no longer investigate any fraud involving less than £5m and the Met are not much better. Even a £4m fraud on the Legal Aid fund had to be prosecuted by a local authority - see [2017] EWCA Crim 534. Organised crime is raking in hundreds of millions from vulnerable pensioners selling "investments" like "rare earth metals", "green energy credits" and coloured diamonds - while the Conservatives talk of disbanding the SFO (so troublesome to shady businessmen) and leaving the NCA to try to understand such complicated things.