The Mindset of White Collar Criminals

If someone asks you to visualize a criminal, you are bound to imagine someone aggressive and repulsive. Breaking the law goes beyond instigating violence or causing physical harm. White-collar criminals are sophisticated individuals; they are not the kind of people that the average person would expect to see behind bars. Their crimes may lack violent behavior, but the consequences are equally devastating. According to Criminal Defense Attorney, the majority of white-collar criminals are motivated by greed, power, and gravity of victory.

Some might argue that refined businesspersons and corporate employees who indulge in crimes like embezzlement, bankruptcy fraud, identity theft, extortion, bribery, and Ponzi schemes are fully aware of what they’re doing. It seems like these criminals have already figured out the benefits and costs of their actions. The allegations are not entirely incorrect, but there is no specific order or pattern of misconduct in these cases. For most white-collar criminals, the victim is either faceless or nonexistent; for this reason, they are typically deprived of any feelings of guilt or remorse.

It is not uncommon for a white collar criminal to assume that his/her actions are justified because their effects are negligible. Workers who mess with company accounts and steal a tiny portion of their funds do not see it as a problem. For example, a business that earns a trillion dollars per year shall not notice if half a million dollars went missing. In reality, no crime is victimless, but the mindset of white-collar criminals hinders them for grasping the simple facts. They only think about their personal gains or a solution that gets them off the hook. It is safe to say that these people are self-centered, lacking a single ounce of empathy for anyone else.

A handful of individuals consider monetary theft as a loan. They transfer some funds from the company’s account into their own with the intention of returning them. The finances are required to fulfill some immediate need and hence, they promise themselves to make up for it later. Unfortunately, the conscience of a human being seldom bounces back from the brink of the dark side. Being able to get away with the pilfering once grants confidence to do it again, and again; the onetime scam often transforms into a habit or satisfying addiction.

Sometimes white-collar criminals are forced to commit forgery for the sake of accomplishing goals or career advancement. The pressure to perform beyond their limits places them in a tricky situation. Playing fair could mean the end of their livelihood, whereas cheating helps them secure a profitable position. White-collar crimes are often deemed as strategies to survive in the challenging corporate world. Both company owners and workers tend to depend on lies to divert major financial losses. There is no room for ethics and morality when you no longer distinguish wrong from right.

Another frequent excuse for committing corporate fraud is that ‘everyone is doing it’. The workplace environment and the competitors in an industry are imperative factors contributing to an indifferent attitude. The widespread criminal activity encourages harmless individuals to participate and become a part of the system. One likes to believe that he/she will rise to the occasion when a situation tests his/her principles; sadly, the life of a felon is the more attractive option.