Hitting the suite spot: sentencing frauds

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to generate data on sentencing within a framework that enables clearer understanding of the sentencing policy options. Design/methodology/approach – Descriptive statistics on sentencing, and the relationship of this to principles of sentencing and sub‐types of fraud/organised crime offenders. Findings – Fraud cases seldom attract severe sanctions where, as in the case of frauds against the EU, there are institutional victims and no apparent systemic risk, despite the prevalence and incidence of such frauds and the high value to offenders. Originality/value – Data on sentencing fraud not readily available, placed within a framework of the purposes and effects of sanctions on different sorts of fraudster.