Question 1

__________ involves illegal activities of people and institutions whose acknowledged purpose is profit through legitimate business transactions.

Accepted Answer

White-collar crime involves illegal activities committed by people and institutions whose acknowledged purpose is profit through legitimate business transactions. Examples include embezzlement, insider trading, fraud, and bribery. It differs from organized crime, which involves illegal activities committed by groups or organizations whose primary purpose is to make a profit through illegal activities. Enterprise crime is a broader term that includes both white-collar crime and organized crime. Cyber crime involves illegal activities that use technology or the internet, such as hacking, identity theft, and online fraud.

Question 2

While exploiters are extortionists who force victims to pay for services to which they are legally entitled, _______________ take bribes in exchange for granting favors.

Accepted Answer

Peddlers are known to engage in transactions that can involve taking bribes in exchange for granting favors, fitting the description provided.

Question 3

Which of the following is not one of the environmental laws discussed in the text?

Accepted Answer

The Natural Gas and Anti-Fracking Act is not one of the environmental laws discussed in the text. The other three options, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and Oil Pollution Act, are all mentioned in the text as important environmental laws.

Question 4

Which of the following is true about shoplifting?

Accepted Answer

According to research, items such as razors, medication, and alcohol which play a role in the illicit drug trade are often stolen. Option B and C are incorrect as they both refer to professional shoplifters who are only a fraction of all shoplifters. Option D is incorrect as the number of annual shoplifting arrests has actually increased in recent years.

Question 5

Bernard Madoff has been referred to as the greatest ____ of all time.

Accepted Answer

Bernard Madoff is most famous for operating the largest Ponzi scheme in history, for which he was arrested in 2008 and sentenced to 150 years in prison. A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment scheme in which returns are paid to earlier investors using the capital of newer investors, rather than profits from any legitimate business venture.

Question 6

Which of the following is not true about auto thefts and automobiles?

Accepted Answer

While most states do require car owners to have some form of insurance, not every state mandates it.

Question 7

Forcing victims to pay for services or contracts to which they have a clear right is called ______.

Accepted Answer

Exploitation involves taking unfair advantage of someone, often by forcing them to pay for something they are entitled to receive without charge.

Question 8

Professional check forgers who make a living by passing bad checks are called ______.

Accepted Answer

Systematic forgers are those who make a living by passing bad checks, doing so in a methodical and organized manner.

Question 9

The willful, malicious burning of a home, building, or vehicle.

Accepted Answer

Arson is the deliberate and malicious act of setting fire to a home, building, or vehicle. Incendiarism is a synonym for arson, but is not commonly used. Burglary involves breaking into a building with the intent to commit theft or another felony, while blowbacking is not a recognized term in relation to arson or crime in general.

Question 10

The ____________________ Act is a federal law that subjects to criminal and civil sanctions any person who shall make any contract or engage in any combination or conspiracy in restraint of interstate commerce.

Accepted Answer

The only law that fits the description of subjecting to criminal and civil sanctions any person who shall make any contract or engage in any combination or conspiracy in restraint of interstate commerce is the Sherman Antitrust Act. Option B, Interstate Commerce Act, regulates the rates charged by railroads and other carriers, option C, Lautenberg Act, is a federal gun law, and option D, Illegal Restraint, is not a specific federal law.

Question 11

Which of the following is true in regard to recent research by the National White Collar Crime Center?

Accepted Answer

The National White Collar Crime Center's recent research found that about 17 percent of individuals reported experiencing at least one form of white-collar crime, making statement A true. Statement B is false, as the research found that only about 6 percent of white-collar crimes are reported to police. Statement C is not directly commented on by the research, so it cannot be confirmed or denied. Therefore, the correct answer is A.

Question 12

Travis Hirschi and Michael Gottfredson claim white-collar crime is relatively rare because, as a matter of course, business executives tend to hire people with ___.

Accepted Answer

Travis Hirschi and Michael Gottfredson argue that white-collar crime is relatively rare because business executives tend to hire people with self-control, meaning that they resist the temptation to engage in illegal and unethical behaviors. Thus, option B is the best choice.

Question 13

Which of the following is not true about burglary?

Accepted Answer

The statement about the number of burglaries occurring each year in the United States according to the UCR (Uniform Crime Reporting) is not accurate. The actual number of burglaries reported annually has been decreasing over the years and is significantly lower than 5 million.

Question 14

Edwin Lemert conducted one of the best-known studies on which form of larceny nearly 60 years ago?

Accepted Answer

Edwin Lemert is known for his study on check fraud, which he analyzed as a form of larceny.

Question 15

Illegal buying of stock in a company on the basis of information provided by someone who has a fiduciary interest in the company is known as _______.

Accepted Answer

Insider trading is the illegal buying of stock in a company based on information provided by someone who has a fiduciary interest in the company, such as a company executive or board member. This information is not available to the general public and gives the insider an unfair advantage in making a profit on the stock. Exploitation, peddling, and chiseling do not specifically refer to this type of activity.

Question 16

A Ponzi scheme is one type of ______ whereby people swindle money with payments of returns earned from new investors.

Accepted Answer

A Ponzi scheme is a type of white-collar fraud, which involves using deceit and trickery to illegally obtain money from others. It is often carried out by individuals in positions of trust, such as investment advisors or financial planners, who promise high returns on investments to attract new investors. However, instead of investing these funds as promised, the fraudsters use the money to pay returns to earlier investors or to fund their own lavish lifestyles, creating a cycle of deceit and deception that can eventually collapse on itself.

Question 17

______________ involves using illegal means to cheat an organization, its consumers, or both, on a regular basis.

Accepted Answer

Chiseling involves using illegal means to cheat an organization or its consumers on a regular basis. Notching, carving, and scoring are not commonly used terms in this context.

Question 18

Amateurs who cash bad checks because of some financial crisis but have little identification with a criminal subculture are called ______.

Accepted Answer

The term "naive check forgers" accurately describes amateurs who cash bad checks due to financial crises but have no connection to a criminal subculture. The other answer options either use incorrect terminology or do not accurately describe this specific group of individuals.

Question 19

A buyer and seller of stolen merchandise is often referred to as a ______.

Accepted Answer

A fence is someone who buys and sells stolen merchandise. Sharks and pickets are not commonly associated with this type of activity. "Heise" does not appear to be a relevant term.

Question 20

The taking of goods from a retail store.

Accepted Answer

While all of the choices may technically refer to taking goods from a retail store, "shoplifting" is the most commonly used term and is generally understood to specifically mean taking goods without paying for them, which is the most common form of theft in retail stores. The other options may be used, but are less commonly heard and may refer more broadly to theft in general rather than specifically to retail theft.

Quiz 12: Economic Crimes: White-Collar, Blue-Collar, and Green-Collar