| An epidemic of white-collar financial crime | | | | altered or doctored in some way. Terms like |
| has resulted in the development of | | | | "computer forensics and "accounting |
| specialized education programs focused on | | | | forensics" have entered the lexicon of crime |
| economic crime investigation and fraud | | | | investigators as they begin probing a crime |
| management. These college-level degree | | | | scene that does not contain blood evidence, |
| programs attract students who are interested | | | | signs of violence or even an obvious victim. |
| in law enforcement and are attracted by the | | | | But these are certainly not victimless |
| very unique nature of these types of crimes | | | | crimes.Hundreds of major corporations, |
| and the special investigative techniques | | | | government institutions and law enforcement |
| required to solve them.There seems to be no | | | | agencies are staffing up with economic crime |
| end to the greed in the hearts of some | | | | specialists, fraud investigators and fraud |
| professional business people. It isn't enough | | | | management specialists. The need for |
| to have fancy cars, vacation homes and other | | | | qualified investigators has prompted colleges |
| lavish perks of the highly successful. Many | | | | to develop specialized curricula devoted to |
| selfish individuals have decided to play a | | | | the study of economic crime prevention. Some |
| risky game of | | | | schools feature Bachelor's and Master's |
| "milk-the-company-for-all-it's-worth" to fuel | | | | Degree programs in Economic Crime. The |
| an unhealthy appetite to acquire more | | | | courses are usually instructed by faculty |
| "things" for no other reason than to have | | | | members experienced in economic crime |
| them. As a result, books are cooked, balance | | | | investigation and computer crime control. |
| sheets become unbalanced and finally, as in | | | | Right now, more than 90% of their Bachelor's |
| the case of Enron, there is nothing left to | | | | in Economic Crime Investigation graduates are |
| share with the shareholders.Economic crime is | | | | working in professional positions relevant to |
| a broad category encompassing a variety of | | | | their career interests.Graduates with these |
| offenses all of which are focused on bilking | | | | unique, highly specialized degrees are in |
| a private company, government agency or other | | | | great demand. A number of colleges are now |
| professional institution out of their | | | | making these programs available for online |
| financial resources. Individuals at any level | | | | study. That means that, no matter what your |
| of an organization including, as we have seen | | | | current commitments or time constraints, |
| in recent years, the most senior management, | | | | these very attractive and potentially |
| may perpetrate these crimes. And the methods | | | | lucrative and rewarding degree programs are |
| that they use may be highly sophisticated | | | | available to almost anyone. Who knows, at |
| including manipulating computer systems or | | | | some point in the not-too-distant future you |
| fudging accounting records.A fraud | | | | may be instrumental in finding, apprehending |
| investigator must be highly educated and well | | | | and convicting economic criminals that are |
| versed in the financial and technological | | | | stealing from us all. |
| systems and practices that may have been | | | | |