220;unskilled” police officers to search the “national database of footwear” for important information, such as shoe manufactures, or evidence that links the footprint to marks from other crimes scenes. This “footwear database” enables the investigating officers to gather evidence against the accused much faster and it is also saves precious time ( May, 1993:18). One of the oldest forms of identification is the use of fingerprints and with the use of today’s technology, many corporations can use this type of technology to help prevent various frauds. For example, in the mid 1990’s Metro Toronto’s Human Services Committee (MTHSC) proposed the use of a finger- scanning system in order to prevent welfare fraud. People applying for welfare would have to place their index finger on a scanner. If their prints did not match those of someone already receiving benefits, they would be eligible for a debit card, which would allow them to withdraw monthly payments from any bank machine. This type of technology is not in use just yet, but it is available and would minimize welfare fraud (Sternbergh, 1996: 64). Computers are also highly used in forensic science. For instance, computer forensic, also referred to as forensic computer analysis or computer examination can be used in finding the evidence for white collar crimes. Many computer forensic experts can recover data from Computer Processing Units (CPUs) and software, which may have been manipulated with by someone, who wished to destroy the evidence. After the data is retrieved and interpreted by the computer forensic expert, the evidence can be used in a court of law (“Computer,” 1999). On the contrary, computers can also benefit those people, who want to enrich themselves through fraud. White collar crimes are, more often than not, very hard to detect because “the globalization of the economy and information technology such as e...
