While it is generally argued that threats of legal sanctions are more effective with offenders involved in economic crimes than with delinquents committing more conventional crimes, such an affirmation rests on weak empirical evidence. Also, most studies supporting this proposition were conducted with nonexperimental designs, thus, undermining the interval validity of the results. On the other hand, studies base their predictions on individual factors and do not incorporate contextual factors. To overcome those limitations, a randomized field experiment was implemented in four insurance companies to incorporate contextual factors into the dynamics of deterrence. This study assessed the effect of a written threat (a deterrent letter reminding insured persons of the punishment for insurance fraud) on claim padding behaviours of insured persons filing claims for residential theft. A deterrent-letter project was implemented in four insurance companies, with claims randomly assigned to the experimental or the control group. Cases belonging to the control group were managed as usual, while individuals in the experimental group received the written threat. The experimental design made sure that the deterrent stimulus was exactly delivered to the insured persons when they had the opportunity to exaggerate the value of their claims. Findings demonstrate that claimants in the experimental group were less likely to pad their claims than were those in the control group. The letter was effective, regardless of the means of delivery. In conclusion, the administration of a written threat at the moment of criminal opportunity appears to be an effective strategy for preventing economic crimes.
Cet article est consacré à l'âge des fraudeurs et, plus précisément, à l'âge des délinquants dits économiques. Le propos de cet article est de mesurer les différences d'âges qu'il peut y avoir entre ces délinquants et celui d'autres catégories comparables de délinquants. Il est aussi de mettre en exergue les différences d'âges qu'il peut y avoir entre diverses catégories de fraudeurs. L'auteur s'attache en outre à expliquer les différences d'âges en tenant compte, d'une part, des aptitudes et opportunités qui sont requises pour s'adonner aux diverses formes de crimes considérées et, d'autre part, des réactions sociales formelles que suscitent ces crimes. Il s'applique enfin à expliquer le fait que les délinquants qui répondent précisément à la définition du criminel écono- mique se distinguent très nettement, de par leurs âges, des voleurs et de la masse des fraudeurs ordinaires.This paper's subject regards the age of the persons guilty of fraud, more precisely the age of the offenders known as economic delinquents. The topic of this paper is to measure the age difference that can exist between those offenders and other closely related categories of offenders. It is also to inscribe the age differences that can exist between diverse categories of offenders guilty of fraud. Moreover, the author endeavours to explain these age differences by taking into account, on one side, the abilities and chances that are required to get involved in the diverse forms of crime hereby considered and, on the other side, the formal social reactions brought on by these crimes. In a word, it aims to explain the fact that offenders corresponding pre- cisely to the definition of an economic delinquent clearly distinguish themselves by their age, of the thieves and the mass of ordinary persons guilty of fraud
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