Experts Explore White Collar Crime at Clark
Thursday, March 22, 2012
The experts spoke casually with Clark students before the panel began.
The panel included Worcester attorney and GoLocal legal expert Leonardo Angiulo, Quinsigamond Community College Professor of Criminal Justice Bill McArthy and FBI agent Kimberly Lawrence. The three panelists met with students for some food and conversation in the lobby of Clark’s Carlson Hall and, though Lawrence could not be quoted per FBI regulations, the others stressed that awareness of white collar crime is the first step to avoiding it.
“I teach a course dealing with all forms of white collar crime, mostly different kinds of fraud,” McArthy said. “But people aren’t as aware of these kinds of crimes as they are others. You know, there is no one place out there that keeps track of all these offenses. We know how many murders happen a year, but people don’t really know how often this kind of stuff happens.”
With the world becoming more and more digital, and the economy weak, Angiulo believes that citizens are at a greater risk for white collar crime than ever before. He also thinks that students just graduating college should be especially wary of any proposals thrown their way.
“The reality of the new economy is that there are fewer resources,” Angiulo said. “That makes it tougher to solve these crimes. I think it’s smart for students to come to something like this so that they can learn that some people are out there to take advantage of them, and here is how they do it. Any time you have less experience, you are going to be at a disadvantage.”
The panel answered around a dozen questions submitted by students beforehand, including their previous experience with white collar crime. McArthy had primarily dealt with fraud, medical the most, while Angiulo’s firm has dealt with issues varying from false tax returns to embezzlement of funds.
With a diverse background as both a professor and a former Connecticut State Trooper, McArthy has dealt with many types of crimes. Though he knows that white collar crimes are not as feared as many violent crimes, he believes that giving people information on what they can do to protect themselves is critical in the information age.
“It’s just about raising that awareness,” McArthy said. “That’s why this is such a great event. Without events like this, people wouldn’t think about white collar crime.”
While it is a scary subject, all of the panelists agreed that you should be diligent in researching any business partner or deal you may come across. Angiulo also warns to not be too greedy when your gut tells you something is off.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Angiulo said. “Often times it is the greedy person that is the victim of white collar crime. Then, it is that same greedy person that becomes the subject of a federal investigation.”
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