Understanding Espionage

What is Espionage?

Espionage, which oftentimes exist in tandem to its colloquial classification known as ‘Spying’, is the criminal activity involving the unlawful and unauthorized encroachment of one individual into the personal, private space or domain belonging to another individual or entity; during this encroachment, the individual accused of Espionage will typically – and illegally – accumulate privileged information and date to which they are unauthorized. In a large majority of Espionage cases, the victim of Espionage is unaware that this unethical and illegal gathering of information is occurring; typically, individuals will gain otherwise unauthorized access to these restricted, private domains through tactics involving fraud, forgery, and blatant misrepresentation. Although Espionage is a fairly generalized criminal activity, the notion on Financial Espionage is not uncommon within the setting(s) of both commercial and financial activity.

Types of Financial Espionage

Financial Espionage can take place in a variety of methods; in certain cases, this type of illegal encroachment can take place within a physical, face-to-face setting – conversely, the advent of virtual technology has allowed for Financial Espionage to take place remotely and anonymously:

Physical Financial Espionage

This type of Financial Espionage may occur in the event that an individual is allowed to gain access to areas, domains, setting, and information that is considered to be privileged; this may take place as a result of that perpetrator being hired by a specific financial company while under the employ – or contract – of a rival financial company. During the fraudulent employ of the perpetrator of Financial Espionage, they may be granted access to authorized financial records and reports; typically, this information may be funneled back to the sponsors of the Financial Espionage for economic gain

Virtual Financial Espionage

In accordance with the development of computer and online-based technology, Financial Espionage taking place on a virtual level has become increasingly prominent; upon the illegal and unlawful access of financial records and reports belonging to individuals – while retaining the classification of ‘privileged information’ may be accessed through a variety of cyber-crimes employing electronic infiltration into data systems

Crimes Associated with Financial Espionage

The classification of Financial Espionage is typically a result of events or activities undertaken by the perpetrator of this crime gaining unlawful access to information or data existing within the private – and oftentimes restricted – domain belonging to another individual or entity; subsequent the enacting of Financial Espionage, privileged financial information, which varies in nature is obtained through fraudulent means. In addition, subsequent to the attainment of this information, a wide range of criminal activities can be associated with the fate of the unlawfully-attained information:

Trespassing

This is classified as the physical act of unlawfully encroaching on the property belonging to another individual in an unauthorized manner; in certain cases, individuals accused of a variety of Espionage charges have been subsequently accused of trespassing in order to illicitly collect private and personal information

Forgery

Upon fraudulently presenting documentation in order to obtain access to privileged information or data – albeit through illegality, the presentation of unauthorized, duplicated documentation manufactured in order to deceitfully illustrate authentic credentials

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