Gangs are often associated with street violence, tattoos and knife fights, and we've seen our share of gang violence in Rhode Island. However, in some parts of the country, gangs are turning away from violent crimes in favor of something more sophisticated -- white collar crimes.

According to a report that was released by the FBI's gang unit, the trend of white collar crimes being committed by gangs has increased during the last few years. Gangsters are becoming adept at identity theft, credit card fraud, insurance fraud and tax fraud.

The police sergeant in charge of one street gang unit said gangs have "discovered that fraud practices are relatively easy and worthwhile based on the money to be made." That may seem true of many crimes up front. However, gangsters who are convicted of white collar crimes can face lengthy prison sentences and hefty fines.

Investigators stated that not only have gang members turned to more sophisticated crimes, but they've also made sure their operations and structures are sophisticated. In the past, police officers were often able to identify gang members by their clothes, hand signs and tattoos. Now, gang members are becoming more covert about their activity in order to "minimize enforcement scrutiny and circumvent gang enhancement laws."

Gangs are also taking their activity online. Many gang members have turned to social media sites as a way to effectively recruit new members and make their presence known in the community. However, the online traffic of many gangs may be used to help police officers track and build cases against members.

White collar crime may seem civil compared to drive-by shootings and violent gang fights, but a conviction of fraud or identity theft could carry the same type of penalties as a violent crime conviction.

Source: news-press.com, "Southwest Florida gangs eschew street for Internet," Marisa Kendall, Jan. 16, 2012