Characteristics of white‐collar criminals: a Norwegian study

Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to address the research question: “What are the characteristics of white‐collar criminals in Norway?”.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based on data from articles in Norwegian financial newspapers for one year where a total of 67 white‐collar criminals convicted to jail sentence were identified. The sample is analysed and presented in comparison with US literature especially on characteristics of white‐collar criminals, which is believed to be both general and limited.

Findings

The paper's contribution is important, as studies of white‐collar criminals so far have focused on case studies rather than statistical analysis of a larger sample. The paper finds that the typically white‐collar criminal is male, 46 years old, involved with first time crime of the amount of 30 million US dollars and convicted to three years of imprisonment. As a contradiction to previous literature on white‐collar crime, the paper also finds that they are not part of the upper‐class and highly educated. On the contrary, even though mostly being leaders, they are not highly educated, but have a position that gives them access to money. Consequently, the paper also finds that manipulation and fraud is the most common form of white‐collar crime in Norway.

Originality/value

The results are in opposition to existing literature and offer a fresh perspective on the characteristics of white‐collar criminals in Norway.

Citation

Filstad, C. and Gottschalk, P. (2012), "Characteristics of white‐collar criminals: a Norwegian study", Journal of Money Laundering Control, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 175-187. https://doi.org/10.1108/13685201211218199