The Nature and Structure of Organised Crime Groups Involved in Fraud

Abstract

This chapter looks at the way in which organised crime groups (OCGs) organise themselves and their operations. OCGs come in a range of shapes and sizes, and their nature and form has captured much academic attention. For example, there are questions about whether OCGs are best defined by their physical structure, the criminal activities they are involved in, or the social, cultural, and historical conditions that facilitate criminality. Academic opinion is further divided between ‘those who see crimes as very well organized’ and ‘those who see crimes as intermittently or more regularly networked but not in any stable hierarchy’ (Levi 2012: 598). Our research found a variety of organisational structures, including the classic, global, chaotic, and flat or horizontal structures. Organisational form is often dependent on the number involved in the group, the type of fraud engaged in, and the scale of the operation. The chapter presents a picture of how organised fraudsters operate, their modus operandi, how ‘organised’ they are, and the networks they are involved with.