White-Collar Crime Lawyer

What is White-Collar Crime?

By definition, a white-collar crime is non-violent crime committed for financial gains. In Singapore, the term “white-collar crime” is also used interchangeably with “business crime” or “corporate crime.”

Never let your guard down and think for a moment that your company is immune to white-collar crimes as all businesses are at risk, which should be addressed vigilantly. White-collar criminals hide in plain sight and can be someone you know. They can very possibly be the nice admin staff you interact with every day or the leader within the company who you trust. 

There are several main areas of white-collar crime, each with varying ways for the criminals to gain financial benefits. Some common examples of white-collar crimes include embezzlement, money laundering, investment fraud and corruption. Sometimes, these white-collar crimes are committed even though the offenders do not even know it!

The coverage of what “white-collar crime” entails is wide, as the financial and reputational consequences can be far-reaching. Financial loss can sometimes be the least of your worries, as white-collar crimes can also affect a company’s reputation, profitability and goodwill. In extreme cases, reputational damages can sometimes put your company past a point of no return.

Prevention is Better than Cure

The damages caused by white-collar crimes can spread like cancer, and only by having robust prevention and early detection processes can you safeguard your assets and resources from potential criminal wrongdoings before it even happens. 

Our lawyers are well equipped to provide you with expert advice on setting up strong business SOPs and systems to deter and detect possible suspicious internal activities that may lead to the revealing of such criminal acts.

Recover Your Assets

If you have already suffered losses as a result of your employee’s wrongful act against your company, careful and strategic steps should be taken in the recovery of your company’s assets. Such steps may include garnishing of accounts, injunctions and where necessary, cooperation with relevant government authorities to assist with investigations.