A wolf in sheep's clothing

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the element of trust that is common to and underpins both the successful legitimate business venture and the successful fraud. Design/methodology/approach - The paper questions whether the cumulative effect of financial crime in our society may ultimately be more serious than in terms of damaging personal and business relationships than the actual losses incurred. Findings - Law enforcement agencies must not lose sight of the significant impact that financial crime is having on our everyday activities. There is a pressing need to ensure that within our communities trust remains a power for good within business relationships. Practical implications - The paper was aimed at raising the awareness of the intangible impact of white collar crime on our society and the need to avoid becoming complacent about such offending at a time when the law enforcement focus in many countries tends to be on violent offending in our community. Originality/value - The paper will be of interest to those working in the field of economic crime or researching the topic.