What is the difference between bribery and extortion?

Bribery and extortion are both forms of white collar crime, and are commonly confused with one another. Bribery is the offering of money or gifts in exchange for preferential treatment or advantage. The person offering the bribe is trying to gain an advantage or some special benefit by corrupting the person receiving the bribe. Extortion is the use of force or threats to obtain something of value, usually money, from someone. The person using extortion is threatening their victim with harm, usually physical, financial, or reputational, in exchange for money or favors. An example of bribery in Washington would be if a business owner offered a politician money in exchange for special tax breaks or favoritism. An example of extortion would be a group of people threatening to publicly reveal a person’s secrets or dirt unless the person pays them money or performs a favor for them. The main difference between bribery and extortion is the motivation behind them. Bribery involves offering something of value in exchange for preferential treatment or an advantage, while extortion involves threatening someone with harm in exchange for something of value. Both are illegal in Washington and can lead to harsh penalties, including large fines and jail time.

Related FAQs

What are the penalties for securities fraud?
What is identity theft?
What are examples of white collar crime?
How is cybercrime committed?
What is the penalty for perjury?
What are the penalties for white collar crime?
How does cybercrime cross state lines?
How is criminal intent proven in a white collar crime case?
How do international laws affect white collar crime?
What is the difference between racketeering and white collar crime?

What is the difference between bribery and extortion?

Related FAQs

Related Blog Posts