Boštjan Slak

Old horizons of organised-white collar crime

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show the interconnectivity between the economic sphere, governance and organised crime and to shed light on the role of white-collar crime and show that constant redefining of the term “organised crime” has certain downfalls. Design/methodology/approach – Methods of analysis and examination of relevant domestic and foreign primary and secondary resources and legal acts are used. The paper is theoretical in nature, as review of literature was the main method used for our argumentation. Findings – The term and phenomena of organised crime have now long enjoyed the attention of many researchers, institutions, policymakers and others. And yet, in this quest for unification, proper definition and classification, it seems that we have somewhat strayed from that original idea of what organised crime represented in the period when this term was first coined. Unfortunately, by doing so, we failed to include the most dangerous forms of behaviour, i.e. (some, not all!) white...

Advance fee frauds messages – non‐declining trend

Purpose – This paper aims to present some intake on advance fee frauds. Frauds of which frequency of occurrence, despite being long present and people are globally aware of them, still present great danger. Several quantitative and qualitative analyses were done in order to find out how and why these messages actually work.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a literature review, quantitative analysis (using SPSS) and qualitative analysis (using MAXQDA). Databases ware composed from messages accumulated in two periods, 1998‐2005 (547 messages) and Jan‐Sept 2012 (59 messages).Findings – Advance fee frauds are not declining in occurrence. They are constantly developing and use both bulk sending and narrower targeting. The latter present more dangers as the messages are more adapted to the interest of the message receiver. There also seems to be a severe resemblance and connection to other types of fraud, especially cybernetic frauds (like pilfering, phishing, or e‐mail spoofing). These types ...

Economic crisis and “white informal economy” – a slippery slope

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of studying the quasi-legal forms of informal economic behaviour that we know as the white informal economy. The paper also sheds light on the role of the informal economy in the financial crisis that started in 2008. Finally, the aim of the paper is also to encourage empirical research about these concepts. Design/methodology/approach The paper is theoretical and based on a literature review. Findings The paper implies that when discussing about informal economy, different sub-categories should continue to be used in order to distinguish the various forms of informal economic practices. There is a particular need for research on practices of economic activities that are legal but not always moral, yet severely damaging. For such activities, the authors propose the term/categorisation the “white informal economy”. Additionally, the authors argue that in the causal links of events that brought about the financial crisis the role of the white informal economy was significant. Practical implications The paper wishes to encourage further research on the topic of (white) informal economy that in turn would also create the scenario for proper policy development for tackling tax avoidance, tax evasion and future financial crises. Originality/value The paper adds to scholarship that takes a critical standpoint towards the financial crisis and to scholarship on the informal economy. It presents an attempt to stimulate further discussion about the connectivity of the informal economy and the financial crisis.

Women and Children at the Centre of Preventing Organised Crime

There are constant debates about what organised crime is and how to define it, and this despite the fact that organised crime has accompanied humanity from the beginning of early civilisations. The development has seemed to be more affecting the role of women in organised crime groups then the behavioural aspects of the criminal activities in which organised crime groups engage in; technological advances have affected the modus operandi, yet the core activities of smuggling, white slavery, forced prostitution and other acts have remained the same. This can also be stated for children that were always exploited by organised (crime) groups. On the other hand, evolution and an ever-changing degree of female emancipation in legal spheres of societies are reflected in criminal activities undertaken by women. The more active the roles that women have, which can be achieved legitimately in society, the more power they can also achieve in the hierarchy of organised crime. However, organised crime can also give strength to women in societies that hamper the formal acquisition of power for women, therefore making organised crime an attractive alternative. Egalitarian societies have provided possibilities for women to engage in business or politics and this has translated into possibilities for them to also be engaged in organised white-collar crime. Victims of white-collar crime are not gender specific, but children probably are affected most since their health and future is more fragile. Yet, ironically, it is the moral quality and knowledge of future generations that can change society for the better. We see education and knowledge as the most important factor for prevention. Yet in the end, it all depends on the integrity of policy makers.