White-collar crimes are non-violent in nature, but they are not victimless crimes. White-collar crime victims include business, individuals, nonprofits, religious groups, and other organizations. All white-collar crime victims find themselves financially and emotionally devastated and looking for answers.

C.R. Cochran & Associates can help you find your answers. We will work with you to determine reasonable goals for your investigation, create an investigative plan to reach those goals, and then implement the plan. We call also help mitigate collateral effects of the crime and assist in the recovery of losses.

Common White-Collar Crimes

Money Laundering: This process is used to disguise and conceal the existence, source, ownership, and nature of property obtained through criminal activity. The goal of money laundering is to create the illusion that the illicit assets are legitimate assets that can be owned and spent by the criminal.

Securities Fraud: The term securities fraud includes a variety of deceptive practices in the sale or purchase of securities. The securities offered by the fraudster include stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, futures and options contracts, and commodities. Common schemes include insider trading, pump and dump schemes, churning, broker embezzlement, front running, and unauthorized trading.

Investment Fraud: Investment frauds are characterized by promises of consistent, high yield returns, with little or no risk to the investor. While the investment scheme claims to be a legitimate business opportunity, little or no financial activity takes place. Common investment frauds include Ponzi schemes, illegal pyramid schemes, advanced fee swindles, and prime bank note schemes.

Bankruptcy Fraud: False or misleading presentations offered during bankruptcy proceedings constitute fraud. Common bankruptcy frauds are concealment of assets, fraudulent conveyance, bust-out schemes, multiple filings, and forged filings.

Real Estate Fraud: Real estate fraud is defined as any false representation made during a real estate transaction with an intent to deceive. Loan falsifications, forged documents, appraisal fraud, mortgage fraud are common real estate fraud schemes.