CRIMES AGAINST BUSINESS - HARD FACTS ARE HARD TO FIND

• NCJ Number: 63305
• Journal: Security Management Volume: 23 Issue: 12 Dated: (DECEMBER 1979) Pages: 18-19,21-22,25-26,28
• Author(s): W C CUNNINGHAM; P J GROSS
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: American Soc for Industrial Security
• Sale Source: American Soc for Industrial Security; UMI Dissertation Services
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

TO AID IN BUSINESS CRIME PREVENTION, THIS ARTICLE ANALYZES THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE FOR DATA ON THE COSTS OF SUCH CRIME, BUSINESS RESPONSE TO CRIME, AND TYPES OF ECONOMIC CRIME.

Abstract

THE LITERATURE SEARCH EXAMINED ECONOMIC CRIME IN GENERAL, SPECIFIC NONVIOLENT CRIMES (I.E., EMBEZZLEMENT, PILFERAGE, CREDIT CARD FRAUD, INSURANCE FRAUD), AND THE QUALITY OF LITERATURE FOUND IN THE DATA BASES OF VARIOUS REFERENCE SERVICES AND PRIVATE SECURITY SOURCES. THE PREDOMINANT TOPICS FOUND IN RECENT BUSINESS AND LEGAL PUBLICATIONS ARE COMPUTER-RELATED CRIMES, BRIBERY, AND MANAGEMENT FRAUD. A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE LITERATURE ORIGINATES FROM THE ACADEMIC; OTHER SOURCES ARE CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES AND THE GOVERNMENT. BARRIERS TO COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH ON ECONOMIC CRIME AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF TESTED PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES INCLUDE (1) THE ABSENCE OF A SINGLE SOURCE FROM WHICH TO OBTAIN A THOROUGH ANALYSIS, (2) THE INAPPLICABILITY OF SOME MATERIALS FOR THE GENERAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AND (3) THE LACK OF A MECHANISM FOR DISTRIBUTING THE INFORMATION TO THE PROPER ORGANIZATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS. STATISTICAL DATA ILLUSTRATE THE ESTIMATED COSTS OF CRIME AGAINST BUSINESS BY TYPE OF CRIME AND BY BUSINESS SECTOR. THE STATISTICS IN THE LITERATURE OFTEN LACK SOURCES OR REFERENCES AND ARE OFTEN AT VARIANCE WITH EACH OTHER. IF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS ARE TO ALLOCATE THEIR RESOURCES EFFECTIVELY, VALID ESTIMATES ARE NECESSARY. RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE AMERICAN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION STRESS THIS POINT. MEASURING THE TOTAL COSTS OF BUSINESS CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS IS DIFFICULT AND REQUIRES FURTHER RESEARCH. FINALLY, THE LITERATURE SHOWS THAT EMPLOYEE-COMMITTED CRIMES ARE MORE COSTLY AND FREQUENT THAN NONEMPLOYEE CRIMES. THEIR PREVENTION ENTAILS AN EFFECTIVE SYSTEM OF INTERNAL ACCOUNTING CONTROLS, SECURITY PROCEDURES, AND THE SUPPORT OF LABOR AND MANAGEMENT. OVERALL, THE DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING AND IDENTIFYING THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE AS WELL AS THE GAPS IN THESE MATERIALS CALLS FOR BETTER ORGANIZATION AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF KNOWLEDGE ON ECONOMIC CRIME.