Articles Posted in White Collar Offenses

There are many ways that Georgia residents can fall victim to identity theft. When this happens, it can be costly, both financially and timewise. It can take a while to restore credit scores and reputation with financial institutions. It is important that everyone understands how identity theft can occur so individuals can take steps to prevent it from happening.

According to USA.gov, the most typical types of identity theft are medical ID, tax ID and social ID theft. With medical, someone uses another person’s health insurance or Medicare number to get medical care. Thieves steal social security numbers for multiple reasons, but a common one is to file tax returns in a false manner. In social identity theft, thieves use someone else’s name and pictures to set up fake social media accounts.

The two most vulnerable age groups to ID theft are seniors and children. There are numerous ways someone can prevent being a victim of identity theft. These include:

If you have been convicted of committing a crime in Georgia, you could be facing a significant array of consequences depending on the seriousness of your offense and the consequences that resulted from it. Once you have been formally charged in the legal system, you may also face the requirement to pay restitution to anyone who was affected by your misdeeds. 

Restitution is most commonly awarded in monetary form, but you could also be required to pay back compensation for damages in other ways too. The restitution you give back is often used in helping any victims recover from the trauma they may have endured because of your behavior. Restitution is not always required but can be requested from victims even after your formal sentencing. Failure to pay restitution that has been required by the courts could leave you in danger of facing even more legal consequences. 

According to the United States Department of Justice, how much restitution you may be required to pay is determined after the courts evaluate the impact that the crime you committed has had on any victims in the case. In a majority of cases, legal fees are not part of what you will be required to pay in terms of restitution. This means you will most likely not be financially responsible for any attorney’s fees or legal fees the victims had to pay in regards to your case. If the process for determining an amount for restitution is too complicated, the court may dismiss the possibility of repayment altogether. 

White collar crime in Georgia is fairly common, and it typically refers to a committed crime that has a financial gain. While there are numerous scams and types of fraud that constitute white collar crimes, there are some common types and all of them have associated penalties.

According to the FBI, financial reasons are what motivates the people who commit these crimes. The reasons include making money, obtaining property and avoiding financial loss to gain an advantage either personally or for a business. One of the most common types of this nature is corporate fraud. This activity not only affects investors but it also can cause irreputable harm to the United States economy.

The main areas of corporate fraud investigation include:

Whenever news breaks of a developing Ponzi scheme, it becomes a topic of conversation in many Georgia households. Some people may be under the misunderstanding that this illegal activity is limited to situations where money is invested for unnaturally high returns. However, potential investors should be aware that Ponzi schemes are a type of fraudulent activity that can take on many different forms.

According to Forbes, the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission has been cracking down on a certain kind of Ponzi schemes that are promising safe gains. If the purported investment is offering “safe and secure” returns, people may not realize that this might be a scheme designed to bilk them of money. And as a result, they might not be as conscientious with their pre-investment research.

Other times, Ponzi schemes take on unusual types of “investments.” The New York Times reported that one recent Ponzi scheme even tried to capitalize on the high demand for tickets to the successful Broadway musical “Hamilton.” Two men raised $81 million from 125 investors after these investors believed that their capital was being used to buy large blocks of tickets to the show which would then be resold at a large profit. Because the type of investment was not a financial product, but rather theater tickets, it may not have raised red flags to those who thought it sounded like a good way to make money.

White collar crimes take on many different forms, and in this blog, we will look into accounting embezzlement and some of the consequences that people may face when they find themselves accused of this offense. Aside from the legal penalties associated with embezzlement, there are many other hardships which someone may experience if they are accused of this offense. For example, they may face serious consequences in their career, whether they lose a job they have counted on for many years or are unable to land a new position years down the road. These are just some of the challenges that people charged with embezzlement may face and handling these allegations properly is vital.

As an accountant, accusations of embezzlement can be very serious. In some instances, these cases result from misunderstandings, while others may be framed and falsely accused of embezzlement or certain details may be exaggerated. Regardless of the unique details of your case, it is imperative to handle the situation cautiously and realize how much your life could be impacted by the charges. Not only could you face career problems, but your reputation may be shattered. For example, others in the community may look down on you and it might be difficult for you to find work in an entirely different field as well.

When it comes to embezzlement and other white collar crime cases, there may be unique details that can impact the outcome of the case. Handling embezzlement charges properly is absolutely essential and you may have numerous legal options.

Business owners, executives and employees may have their lives completely upended when they are charged with a white collar offense. These charges take on many forms and in this blog post, we will look closer into bribery charges, which can be very serious. Not only can these charges result in time behind bars and massive financial penalties, but they can bring on an unbearable amount of stress and permanently destroy someone’s reputation. It is also important to point out that some of these cases are based on false allegations or include details that have been fabricated.

If you have been charged with bribery, you should take steps to protect your interests immediately. Even if you are confident that you will be able to secure a favorable outcome in the courtroom, these are serious charges that could shatter your career and, ultimately, your life. That said, some people feel overwhelmed when these charges surface and they feel like giving up or lose motivation to approach the case properly. This can be detrimental and with so much at stake, you cannot afford to sit on the sidelines.

Every bribery case is different, and some involve significant amounts of money and carry harsh penalties. You should go over the unique details of your case thoroughly and have a good understanding of any legal options that are open to you. If you browse over to our page on white collar defense, you can read more material that is related to bribery charges and similar legal topics.

When people are entrusted with managing their employer’s cash flow in Georgia, they are often given access to financial accounts where they are trusted to monitor incoming and outgoing expenses. Many companies go to great lengths to verify that the people they hire that have access to sensitive information, are trustworthy and have integrity. However, there are undoubtedly times when people misuse their position to get financial gain. 

An example of this is found in a recent story out of Jacksonville, Florida where a couple is accused of embezzling a jaw-dropping $4 million from the woman’s employer, Swisher International. The well-known cigar company had hired the woman to manage taxes when she allegedly began stealing money. Investigations revealed that the couple was living a lavish lifestyle supported by lucrative sums of money they embezzled from Swisher by creating false invoices to another company where her employer did not have any interactions. The theft took place over nearly a year and was verified using bank records that tracked the stolen money to the couple’s joint bank account. Purchases including expensive vehicles and a beachfront property were among the things the couple spent the money on. 

If people have been convicted of embezzling money, they may want to hire an attorney to help them. With an experienced legal professional, people may have a better chance at being able to reduce their punishment for the crimes they have been accused of committing.  

When someone is charged with white collar offenses, they may have concerns about how these allegations will affect them financially, whether they have to pay stiff fines or end up losing their job as a result of the case. Or, they may worry about spending time behind bars. While these are serious problems for many people who are charged with a white collar offense, there are many other ways in which someone’s life can be upended when they are charged with a white collar crime. For example, the stigma surrounding these charges could unravel their life in various ways.

People who are accused of white collar offenses may sustain serious damage with respect to their reputation. Other people in the workplace may see them differently, even if they are able to secure a new position after the case has been handled. Moreover, their friends, family members and others in the community may also look at them differently. Even if the accusations are false, someone who is suspected of committing a white collar offense may struggle with overcoming the harsh stigma associated with these charges.  For more blog entries, click here.

Sometimes, people are unable to find work due to previous white collar crime charges and these cases can unravel a person’s life in countless ways. If you have been charged with any type of white collar offense, it is pivotal for you to make sure that your case is handled properly. Our white collar crime defense section covers more related to legal considerations concerning these matters.

If you are like many people in Georgia, you have heard stories about people being charged with criminal offenses and the term “Ponzi scheme” has been used but you may not fully understand what this means. It may be easier than some people think to be involved in a business deal that some allege is fraudulent so understanding these allegations is important for you if you are active in any type of investment business. 

As explained by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, a Ponzi scheme is a specific type of fraudulent activity. The name of this fraud type dates back nearly a century to the 1920s when a man named Charles Ponzi illegally made money taking money from investors for postage stamp investments but ended up paying initial investors with monies received from subsequent investors instead of from actual returns.

The SEC identifies several things that may signal an investment program could be a Ponzi scheme and one of these is when a program yields a consistent rate of return that is higher than the norm. This can be a tricky thing because there is nothing that prevents one investment from legitimately being more lucrative than others. The combination of high return and low risk is said to be another factor some consider to be indicative of a potential Ponzi scheme.

The computer age has brought all sorts of innovations and life has changed in ways that many people never could have imagined. From a financial perspective, life has changed considerably in recent years. Many people conduct their banking over the internet and people rely on technology for key financial transactions. Moreover, new payment options have been introduced and people have new ways to invest, such as the cryptocurrency market. While cryptocurrency has brought in an incredible amount of money for some, it has also given rise to certain white collar offenses such as ICO fraud and Ponzi schemes. These charges are very serious and theft, tax fraud and other offenses related to cryptocurrency can bring harsh penalties as well.

If you have been accused of a white collar offense involving cryptocurrency, you may be completely shocked or unsure of how to handle the charges. However, it is crucial to realize that your future may be at stake in various ways. Aside from the financial repercussions, your reputation may be shattered irreparably and life may never return to normal for you. The digital era has also shattered the personal lives of many people due to the rapid sharing of gossip and information via social media and message boards.

Facing white collar crime charges can be overwhelming. You may be unfamiliar with your legal rights or unsure of how to approach the case. There may be certain details that you have overlooked or other key aspects of your circumstances which could impact the end result, which is why these cases have to be thoroughly reviewed.