Team Herald
PANJIM: White collar crime has traditionally been seen as a man’s game, with women playing supporting roles as accomplices.
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But the recent spurt of such crimes in Goa with women as the drivers of organised crime rings – think the cash-for-jobs scam or the Curchorem bank fraud – has shown that if the lure of money is big enough, and the victims are gullible citizens, then gender is no bar for these criminals.
It’s obvious from the sheer number of women who played a pivotal role in both the scams goes to prove that women too are highly capable of committing financial crimes.
Though there is no recent record available on the crimes committed by women in India, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported in 2009 that women constituted only 6.3% of those convicted under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).That has surely changed in the past decade and a half, though the latest numbers are not available.
Former cop Bosco George noted that these crimes no longer fit the traditional mould where women’s involvement was rare. “These are white collar crimes.The desire for material pleasures by individuals who are technology-savvy has blurred gender lines in criminal activities,” he said.
Though most of the accused are linked to the cash-for-jobs scam there has also been another high-profile case where senior citizens from Curchorem have been duped by a woman associated with an NGO.
Rosalina Gomes, a victim from Curchorem said, “Tanvi Vast would reach out to elderly and ailing people and help them with filling forms and other procedures that are needed to invest money in the bank. On updating the passbook we realised that the money never reached the account.”
Described as an attractive, soft spoken and seemingly helpful person, Tanvi Vast allegedly deposited money intended for fixed deposits into her account and even stole gold jewelry from victims’ bank lockers.
Winning the trust of vulnerable individuals and subsequently exploiting them appears to be the modus operandi in both the cash-for-jobs scam and the Curchorem bank fraud.
Dinesh Kumar Asthana said that Tanvi offered help but never provided any documents or proof of the investments. “Even now the bank officials are bank officials are reluctant to address our losses. It is our life savings and our only means of survival,” he said.
New research on forensic accounting behaviour indicates that women are just as likely to commit ‘pink collar’ crimes such as embezzlement and fraud as men. However, the research indicates that men typically steal larger amounts.
As far as the investigation into the cash for jobs scam is concerned, many women have been found to be involved in the act of enticing and luring people into paying money.
Women’s rights activist Auda Viegas said that women are more vulnerable to being used by some influential persons and explains why there may be more to it. “There is likelihood that the women may have been used by a much bigger hand behind the fraud cases. That needs thorough investigation,” she said.
Activist Mariano Ferrao said that fraudsters are taking advantage of the susegad nature of Goans. “The government and the law enforcement have rolled out a red carpet for the scammers emboldening them further.”
