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Types of Crimes
White Collar: White-collar crimes are crimes that committed by people of high
social status who commit their crimes in the context of their occupation. This
includes embezzling (stealing money from one’s employer), insider trading, and tax
evasion and other violations of income tax laws.
Other white collar crimes include:
 Stock fraud
 Bribery
 Work health and safety violations
 Income tax evasion
Blue Collar: used to describe crimes that are committed primarily by people who
are from a lower social class. Examples of blue collar crimes include:
 Armed robbery
 Murder and other violent crimes
 Sexual assault
 Burglary and theft
 Breaking and entering
 Drug abuse
Aggravated assault:
An attack or attempted attack with a weapon, regardless of whether an injury
occurred, and an attack without a weapon when serious injury results.
With injury - An attack without a weapon when serious injury results or an attack
with a weapon involving any injury. Serious injury includes broken bones, lost teeth,
internal injuries, loss of consciousness, and any unspecified injury requiring two or
more days of hospitalization.
Threatened with a weapon - Threat or attempted attack by an offender armed with a
gun, knife, or other object used as a weapon that does not result in victim injury.
Assault:
An unlawful physical attack or threat of attack. Assaults may be classified as
aggravated or simple. Rape, attempted rape, and sexual assaults are excluded from
this category, as well as robbery and attempted robbery. The severity of assaults
ranges from minor threats to nearly fatal incidents.
Burglary:
Unlawful or forcible entry or attempted entry of a residence.
Embezzlement
The unlawful misappropriation of money or other things of value, by the person to
whom the property was entrusted (typically an employee), for his or her own
purpose. Includes instances in which a computer was used to wrongfully transfer,
counterfeit, forge or gain access to money, property, financial documents, insurance
policies, deeds, use of rental cars, or various services by the person to whom they
were entrusted.
Identity theft
Includes one or more of three types of incidents: (1) unauthorized use or attempted
use of an existing account, (2) unauthorized use or attempted use of personal
information to open a new account, (3) misuse of personal information for a
fraudulent purpose. Person level identity theft is captured in the Identity Theft
Supplement (ITS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS).
Larceny
The unlawful taking of property other than a motor vehicle from the possession of
another, by stealth, without force or deceit. Includes pocketpicking, nonforcible
purse snatching, shoplifting, and thefts from motor vehicles. Excludes receiving
and/or reselling stolen property (fencing), and thefts through fraud or deceit.
First Degree Murder: planned, premeditated murder
Second Degree Murder: accidental, happens when the action is known to be possible
to cause a death
Manslaughter: accidental death, actions were dangerous, not as serious as murder
Organized Crime
Organized crime is crime committed by structured groups typically involving the
distribution of illegal goods and services to others. Many people think of the Mafia
when they think of organized crime, but the term can refer to any group that
exercises control over large illegal enterprises (such as the drug trade, illegal
gambling, prostitution, weapons smuggling, or money laundering).
Differences Between Blue And White Collar Crimes
There are more differences between blue collar crimes and white collar crimes, such
as their economic and social impacts. A few of these differences are listed below:
 Blue collar crime has an estimated cost of about $14 billion per year. White
collar crime has an estimated cost of $200 billion per year.
 Blue collar crime attracts more media and police attention than white collar
crime.
 Blue collar crimes are typically highly visible and physical in nature, whereas
white collar crimes can be easily hidden within an organization and are more
technical.
 Blue collar crime is often easier to detect than white collar crime.
 Blue collar crime often affects fewer individuals than white collar crime. For
example, one family may lose a majority of their possessions as a result of a
robbery, but securities fraud can result in thousands of people losing their
income and benefits, as well as shareholders loss of finances (as in the

infamous Enron scandal in which Kenneth Lay was found guilty of securities
fraud among other things).
Blue collar crime occurs at a higher rate than white collar crime, though it
has been estimated that white collar crime is vastly underreported.
Vehiclar manslaughter: driving a car and you kill someone
Forgery: faking someone’s signature to secure funds or permission