What are business related crimes?

Business like anybody else in society is subject to general criminal law. Some crimes are found more frequently in the business than elsewhere. Business firms often become the victims of crimes such as robbery, burglary, shoplifting, employee pilferage, passing bad checks, vandalism, receiving stolen property, and embezzlement. Less frequently, but often with much larger sums of money involved, business persons and firms may commit crimes. Because such criminals are generally well-educated, respected members of the community, the offenses are called white-collar crimes. Normally no physical violence is involved in crimes of this nature.

Here are some of the common business-related crimes:

1. Larceny

Larceny is the wrongful taking of money or personal property belonging to someone else. Variations of larceny include robbery and burglary. Larceny may be either a felony or a misdemeanor. The classification is determined by the value of the property stolen and the circumstances surrounding the act.

2. Receiving Stolen Property

This offense consists of receiving, concealing, or buying property known to be stolen, with intent to deprive the rightful owner of the property. One who receives stolen property is known as a fence.

3. False Pretenses

One who obtains money or other property from another person by lying about a past or existing fact is guilty of false pretenses. False pretenses is a type of fraud because the victim parts with the property voluntarily.

4. Forgery

Forgery is falsely making or altering any writing, for example, the signature of another person. In forgery there must be intent to defraud either the person whose name is signed or someone else. Forgery is usually a felony.

5. Bribery

Bribery is offering or giving to a governmental official money or anything of value in order to influence performance of an official duty. Accepting the money or offer is also bribery.

6. Extortion

Extortion is obtaining money or other property from a person by wrongful use of force, fear, or the power of office.

7. Conspiracy

Conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to do an unlawful criminal act, or to do a lawful act by unlawful means. Usually the agreement is secret. Business executives of competing corporations sometimes conspire to fix prices or to divide markets.

8. Arson

Arson is the willful and illegal burning of a building. Arson has been committed when someone intentionally starts a fire or causes an explosion that results in any burning.

9. Selling and Buying Narcotic Drugs

There exist laws which make certain narcotic-related activities criminal offenses. The activities include selling or offering to sell, possessing, transporting, administering, or giving narcotics without a license, except by medical prescription.

10. Computer Crime

Society has only recently addressed the problems of crimes made possible by the extensive use of computers. One problem involves the stealing of valuable information from other persons' computers. It is not easy to prosecute those who steal computer data for two reasons. First, many courts concluded that there was not a "taking" if an intruder merely copied the information in the computer. Second, even if an intruder copied and erased computer information, some courts concluded that there was no taking of "personal property" but only the loss of electrical impulses, which no one really owns.

Cлова к тексту 2:

1. to be subject to - подчиняться

2. pilferage [ˊpɪlfəɪrʤ] - мелкое хищение

3. embezzlement [ɪmˊbezlmənt] - присвоение или растрата имущества

4. a white-collar crime - преступление, совершенное служащим или лицом, занимающим высокое общественное положение

5. larceny [ˊla:sənɪ] - воровство, кража

6. circumstance [ˊsə:kəmstəns] - обстоятельство

7. to conceal [kənˊsi:l] скрывать, прятать

8. a fence - скупщик краденного

9. false pretenses [fɔ:ls prɪˊtensɪz] - обман

by false pretenses - путем обмана

10. fraud [grɔ:d] - мошенничество

11. to defraud - обманом лишать чего-либо, мошенничать

12. to influence [ˊɪnfluəns] - влиять, оказывать влияние

13. conspiracy [kənˊspɪrəsɪ] - сговор

14. administering - применение

15. to erase [ɪˊreɪz] - стирать

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