| Have you opened a medical statement recently and | | | | 68 billion dollars of all Health Care spending is lost to |
| had too many charges on it? Were you charged for | | | | Health Care fraud. The FBI estimates a loss as high as |
| examinations that you did not need? Or were the | | | | 10% for Health Care related fraud. Due to the aging of |
| charges from a doctors office you did not use? You | | | | the baby boomers Health Care fraud is only expected |
| may have been a victim of a white collar crime! It can | | | | to rise because of the high insurance rates and |
| happen to anyone! | | | | medical bills. This increase in Health Care Insurance |
| White Collar Crime is a term that was defined by | | | | Fraud will also increase medical cost because people |
| Edwin Southerland, Sociologist of criminology. The term | | | | also have to pay to replace the money that is lost in |
| is identifying those illegal non-violent activities that | | | | the cases of fraud that take place. Businesses and |
| involve traditional notions of deceit, deception, | | | | consumers are not only loosing financially; People are |
| concealment, manipulation, breach of trust or illegal | | | | losing lives and savings, their health is put in danger, the |
| circumvention. These crimes have been known to be | | | | cost of everyday goods are higher, honest people are |
| committed by business professional and government | | | | loosing their jobs and honest businesses are loosing |
| agents. Today it is known that white collar crime can | | | | money. |
| be committed by anyone, from many different | | | | Bankruptcy and antitrust offenses are having the |
| backgrounds; whether it is race, gender, education or | | | | greatest impact on the economy. Fraud committed by |
| social status. White collar crimes include: anti-trust law | | | | executives does not only damages stock holders but |
| violations, bankruptcy fraud, bribery/kickbacks, | | | | public confidence for corporations. Some types of |
| computer/internet fraud, counterfeiting, credit card | | | | fraud hurt the most vulnerable; telemarketing frauds |
| fraud, embezzlement, environmental law violations, | | | | target the elderly who are usually at home and |
| financial crimes, government fraud, health care fraud, | | | | sometimes with no one to help them with such things. |
| identity theft, insider trading, insurance fraud, mail fraud, | | | | Telemarketing companies committing fraud are hard to |
| money laundering, public corruption, qui tam, securities | | | | track down and prosecute because most of the |
| exchange, tax evasion, telemarketing fraud and trade | | | | companies are between jurisdiction; making it harder to |
| secret theft. Though these crimes are non-violent | | | | be investigated by local officials. The Government |
| they have a great affect on corporate companies, | | | | Accountability Office estimates that about 10% of all |
| consumers and the United States economy. | | | | funds of domestic programs will be lost through |
| The rise in white collar crime incidents has also | | | | contracting processes linked to public corruption. |
| contributed to a rise in cost to the nation. The cost of | | | | Computer fraud via the internet is used to acquire |
| corporate crime to society is many times that of | | | | personal information such as credit card numbers, |
| organized crime or street crime. Corporate crime can | | | | usernames, passwords or other information that can |
| cost billions of dollars, but because these losses are | | | | be use in criminal activities. A study done in 2004 by |
| frequently spread out over so many unaware victims, | | | | the Federal Trade Commission showed that fourteen |
| it usually does not create the original impact as | | | | percent of consumer fraud is achieved through the |
| a store robbery that only cost a few hundred dollars. | | | | internet or email. |
| There are various types of white collar crime that | | | | Greed is one of the main reasons people commit |
| increased economic hardship for the average citizen | | | | white collar crimes; they are trying to get rich of hard |
| and consumer. Such white collar crimes increase the | | | | working people. Today there are many agencies and |
| cost of doing business, which impacts consumer | | | | organizations trying to combat white collar crime; such |
| through increased prices and decreased services. | | | | as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, National White |
| According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | | | | Collar Crime Center, The Department of Justice, the |
| these types of crimes cost the United States more | | | | Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and |
| than 300 billion dollars annually. | | | | Exchange Commission and others. They provide |
| Insurance Fraud, excluding medical fraud, accounts for | | | | information for consumers on ongoing cases of white |
| about 40 Billion dollars annually. While premiums are | | | | collar crime and how to protect them selves from |
| increased due to fraud, it is costing the average family | | | | these types of crimes. Most of these agencies also |
| about $400-$700 more annually for insurance. | | | | have contact information where white collar crimes |
| According to the National Health Care Anti-Fraud | | | | can be reported. |
| Association (NHCAA), it is estimated that about 3% or | | | | |