What is the Difference Between White Collar and Blue-Collar Crime?
White collar crime refers to financial crimes like embezzlement and insider trading, whereas blue collar crime refers to street crimes like assault, burglary, and drug crimes.
The terms “white collar” and “blue-collar” originally referred to different types of jobs. White collar jobs are office jobs, where the workers wear business suits, and blue-collar jobs are manual labor jobs, where the workers wear dark colored uniforms that do not easily show the dirt. These terms have come to refer to different types of crimes, as well, with white collar crime being a synonym for financial crimes. The terms are not especially accurate, especially since work dress codes have changed so much, and also since the Internet has made so much information accessible to so many people. In 2021, you do not have to have a managerial job to have access to hundreds of people’s bank account information on your work computer, and many of the people who have returned to in-person work at office jobs are in no hurry to take their collared shirts out of the closet again. If you are being accused of a crime, financial or otherwise, contact a Gwinnett County criminal defense lawyer, at Zimmerman & Associates.
White Collar Crimes are Not Just for Business Executives
White collar crime is just another way of saying financial crime. The good news is that white collar crimes do not involve physical violence, but the bad news is that they involve abuse of the victim’s trust. The following are some examples of common white-collar crimes:
- Fraud – making false statements to persuade the victim to give you their money.
- Identity theft – stealing the victim’s confidential information (such as their social security number or bank account number) and using it for your own financial gain.
- Embezzlement – stealing money from your employer.
- Insider trading – making trades on the stock market based on information you have found out in the context of your work and which is not publicly available to all investors.
Some white-collar crimes carry lengthy prison sentences. People convicted of financial crimes may also need to pay fines to the court and restitution to the victims of their crimes.
Different Types of Blue-Collar Crimes
By contrast, blue-collar crimes are all other crimes. The following are some examples of blue-collar crimes:
- Violent crimes, such as assault, battery, or aggravated assault.
- Property crimes, such as larceny, burglary, arson, or vandalism.
- Drug crimes, including drug possession and drug trafficking.
Blue-collar crimes can be misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the specifics of the crime and whether the defendant has prior criminal convictions. Whether you are charged with a white-collar crime or a blue-collar crime, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Contact Zimmerman & Associates About Criminal Charges for White Collar or Blue-Collar Crime
An Atlanta criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges, no matter your line of work and no matter the offense of which you are accused. Contact Zimmerman & Associates in Norcross, Georgia to set up a free consultation.