 Fraud and organised crime in EuropeErnesto U. Savona Chapter 13 in Research Handbook on Fraud and Society, 2026, pp 239-264 from Edward Elgar Publishing Abstract: This chapter examines the nexus between fraud and organised crime in Europe, highlighting how technological advancement, regulatory loopholes, and cross-border complexities have facilitated an expansion in sophisticated fraud schemes. It introduces a classification framework distinguishing between fraud as a direct means of financial gain, a tool for infiltrating the legal economy, manipulation-based fraud, and opportunistic fraud. The analysis is supported by examples, including identity theft, charity scams, payment card fraud, Ponzi schemes, and money laundering through legitimate businesses. It briefly explores the economic and social consequences of fraud, noting its systemic effects on public trust, institutional integrity, and financial stability. The chapter also evaluates the efforts of EU agencies—such as Europol, Eurojust, EPPO, and OLAF—in addressing fraud, assessing their workload, effectiveness, and coordination. Ultimately, the work underscores the need for more integrated policy responses and greater public awareness to counteract the evolving threats posed by the increasing complexities of fraud. Keywords: Organised crime; Fraud; Europe; Financial crime (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:elg:eechap:24044_13 Ordering information: This item can be ordered from Access Statistics for this chapter More chapters in Chapters from Edward Elgar Publishing |
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