Our criminal lawyers will help you get a fair hearing and resolve your issue quickly so you can get on with your life.
Types of white collar crime
There are a wide range of white collar crimes that individuals can be charged with in Victoria or under Australian law. These include:
- Bribery or blackmail, which can include bribing or blackmailing a government official or a private individual;
- Fraud, dishonesty or forgery;
- Insider trading, which involves using information that you know or ought to know to transact, tip or get other people to trade financial products;
- Embezzling money or property;
- Tax fraud or tax evasion is where you don’t pay tax or get a financial advantage by behaving deceptively or dishonestly. This is different from tax avoidance where you manage your business or a transaction to minimise the tax you pay, which is not a crime.
- Financial record keeping, where you try to conceal, destruct, alter or falsify accounting records or your financial information.
- Unfair consumer practices, like creating or communicating a pyramid scheme or selling goods that don’t meet government information standards;
- Cyber crimes, like changing data or trying to trick someone or an online scam;
- Withholding evidence or trying to conceal information from a government authority investigating a crime;
- Identity theft;
- Money laundering;
- Possessing the proceeds of crime; and
- Occupational health and safety offences.
In some situations, you may not know about the crime being committed but the law deems you to know because of the position you hold in your organisation. This often happens if you’re a partner in a business or hold a senior position in a company.
Penalties for white collar crime
The penalties for white collar crimes vary widely depending on the crime that you’re found guilty of. They can include:
- Hefty fines;
- Imprisonment or up to 10 years or more;
- Needing to pay the victim back or compensate them for their loss.
In some instances the minimum penalties are outlined in the law, while in others you may be able argue that you should receive a lower penalty. This may be possible if you’ve cooperated with the police or government agencies.
Why MNG Lawyers
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes a court can order you to pay back the person who has suffered a loss. Depending on the crime that you’re found guilty of, you may be automatically required to recompense the victim, which means they don’t have to sue you separately.
Depending on what crime you’re charged with, the investigating authority may be allowed to require you to give them documents or other information. This may include financial records or even speaking to people you work with.