Social Science Division

Criminal Justice: Economic Crime

Bob Moschgat
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Social Science Division
(315) 866-0300 or toll free 1-888-GO-4-HCCC, ext. 8430

Professor Thomas W. Lenahan
Criminal Justice Program
(315) 866-0300 or toll free 1-888-GO-4-HCCC, ext. 8209

Program Summary

Economic Crime investigators are responsible for uncovering breaches of security relating to high-tech crimes. Job responsibilities include investigating insurance fraud, credit card fraud, computer security, internal and corporate security, financial investigations and Internet commerce fraud. Students in this program will study basic Criminal Justice topics such as criminal law, private security and criminology, and will benefit from a program focus on technology that features several computer courses. Graduates of this program will find that they are well prepared for transfer into baccalaureate degree programs in Economic Crime. Graduates of four-year programs in this field can expect starting salaries ranging from $30,000-$45,500.

Program of Study at Herkimer

• Accounting I & II
• Introduction to Criminal Justice
• Introduction to Private Security
• Criminal Procedure Law
• Criminology
• Introduction to Microeconomics
• Criminal Substantive Law
• English
• Freshman Seminar
• Fraud Examination
• Introduction to Economic Crime Investigation
• Mathematical Statistics I
• Introduction to Sociology
• Networking Essentials
• Contemporary Mathematics
• Physical Education
• Laboratory Science
• Introduction to Microsoft Word

Click Economic Crime for the current program of study page.

Skill Requirements

Students interested in pursuing the study of Economic Crime should have a strong interest in Criminal Justice and a desire to work in law enforcement or the private sector. In addition, some familiarity with computers is required. Good written and verbal communicaion skills are also important, as are interest in basic economics and principles of commerce.

Nature of the Work

Economic Crime Investigators work in a fast-paced, high-tech environment. Much of their time is spent establishing and testing security measures on a computer network. In addition, they analyze and evaluate computer evidence in an effort to detect fraud. They are also called upon to interview suspects and report results of such interviews. Economic Crime Investigators work in the private sector for banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, and telecommunications companies. They are also employed by state and federal agencies, such as the New York State Police, the United States Secret Service, and many municipal police departments.

Job Outlook

With the proliferation of Internet Commerce expected in the twenty-first century and beyond, the need for Economic Crime investigators is expected to markedly increase as well. Approximately 37,400 criminal justice positions are projected annually throughout the nation. Of these, thousands will be devoted to the Economic Crime Specialization.