RT Article
T1 Characteristics and situational aspects of seafood fraud: a comparative crime script analysis
JF Crime, law and social change
VO 82
IS 2
SP 433
OP 462
A1 Lawrence, Sophie
A2 Ruth, Saskia van
A2 Elliott, Christopher
A2 Huisman, Wim
LA English
YR 2024
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1906666245
AB Seafood fraud is a global concern. High-value products with a diversity of species, production methods and fishery origins provide a business environment that is both conducive to criminality and financially lucrative. However, there is scarce empirical evidence on the nature of seafood fraud. This study aims to increase the understanding of deceptive practices in the seafood industry, the crime commission process and to identify possible intervention points. Ten case studies that had resulted in successful prosecutions were analysed using performed crime scripts to understand the actors, resources, processes, fraud techniques, conditions and the payment, sale and distribution of illicit products through legitimate supply chains. The crime scripts for each fraud were created using open-source intelligence, including media sources, publicly available court filings and company records. Similar to other white-collar offences, fraud opportunity was facilitated by leveraging existing resources, relationships and industry reputation to enable and conceal fraudulent practices. In all cases, fraud was perpetrated by senior management, undermining internal control mechanisms. Other fraud enablers included the availability and pricing of substitute products, lack of end-to-end traceability and the inability of supply chain actors, including consumers, to detect fraud. Also notable was the extent of employee involvement, so this paper considers impediments to external disclosure, particularly for migrant workers. The study enriches the food fraud literature by using crime script analysis to understand preparation, execution, and opportunity structures of seafood fraud. By emphasising the nature of fraudulent activities in specific markets, rather than solely focusing on perpetrators, it offers a more comprehensive approach to understanding environmental and situational influences. These insights, scarce in the current literature, are vital for shaping effective intervention strategies.
NO Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 453-462
K1 Food crime
K1 Seafood fraud
K1 Seafood mislabelling
K1 Crime script analysis
K1 Situational Crime Prevention
DO 10.1007/s10611-024-10149-7