You may not believe it, but white-collar crimes are commonplace across New York. In fact, you may find yourself facing a charge in this category at some point in your lifetime.
To stay out of trouble, you may want to familiarize yourself with some of the crimes that fall under this category. Examine these three examples of white-collar crimes, so you can avoid charges in the future.
1. Embezzlement
One of the most highly committed crimes in the corporate world is embezzlement. It most often occurs in accounting and bookkeeping positions but can happen anytime someone has access to another person’s money. Retail and restaurant employees can also commit this crime. When one person takes money from a customer, it can rise to embezzlement charges fairly quickly.
2. Identity theft
Taking someone’s credit card out of a wallet and charging it up may not seem to fit in the white-collar crime category. While this type of crime may not, the broader crime of identity theft does. When one person takes another’s sensitive information, such as a Social Security number, to then assume that person’s identity, a high crime occurs. Cyber thieves are gaining real ground on committing identity theft in massive waves. Driver’s license numbers, bank accounts and the like are all up for sale with hackers making money and victims losing everything.
3. Tax evasion
No one enjoys having to pay Uncle Sam every year, but taxes are a requirement as a U.S. citizen. If the IRS discovers that you avoided paying taxes on purpose, you may find yourself in federal court facing serious counts of tax evasion. Therefore, it is best to protect yourself by paying what you owe on time.
White-collar is a category in which many other crimes fall. If someone accuses you of committing one of the crimes above, you may want to consider hiring a lawyer for help and guidance through the process.