Economic and financial crimes: evidence from the literature in emerging markets

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to characterize and analyze the literature on economic and financial crimes (EFCs) in the context of emerging markets, as published in Scopus.

Design/methodology/approach

A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 33 articles sourced from Scopus, focusing on the intersection of keywords related to financial crime or economic crime with those related to emerging markets, emerging countries, emerging economies, developing markets, developing countries or developing economies. The data were systematically analyzed using Excel and Bibliometrix to identify trends, patterns and gaps in the literature.

Findings

Research in this area has seen significant growth, with the period from 2016 to 2023 accounting for 57.6% of total scientific productivity. This period also represents 68.1% of authors, 56.7% of journals, 73.6% of institutions and 45.7% of citations. Key research themes identified include: the practice of EFCs in developing countries; the impact of globalization on EFCs in these regions; and the intersection of artificial intelligence, sustainable development goals and EFCs. Furthermore, the authors suggest exploring under-researched crimes, such as kickbacks, extortion, embezzlement, bid rigging and insider trading.

Research limitations/implications

This study primarily focuses on EFCs in emerging markets. Future research should examine developed markets to contrast findings and enrich the overall understanding of these phenomena.

Originality/value

Despite the critical nature of EFCs in emerging markets, there has been no comprehensive study that elucidates the significant aspects of the existing literature.

Citation

Dote-Pardo, J.S. and Severino-González, P. (2025), "Economic and financial crimes: evidence from the literature in emerging markets", Journal of Money Laundering Control, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMLC-07-2024-0120