ABSTRACT
Opportunities, Criminal Laws, and Regulations From an opportunity perspective, laws and regulations are best viewed as tools that can be used to shape and control white-collar crime opportunities. Recall that white-collar crimes have certain characteristics (the o ender’s legitimate access to the victim, a physical separation between the o ender and victim, and the super cial appearance of legality). ese characteristics give rise to the use of particular criminal techniques (e.g., deception, abuse of trust, concealment, conspiracy). One way in which regulatory law a ects white-collar crime opportunities is by setting the parameters of “legitimate” access. So, for instance, many professions require a degree or certi cation for an individual to o er services. Businesses often must be registered with a state or local authority before they can open their doors. ere are age restrictions regarding who can enter into a contract, and so forth. In e ect, these regulations limit who can have legitimate access to particular types of victims. ough such regulations do not stop those who have legitimate access from abusing their positions, they at least make it more di cult for the criminally motivated to get legitimate access.
