Katvanger

A straw man serves as a nominee or front in criminal schemes. Companies are frequently incorporated, bank accounts opened or contracts concluded in his name, while actual control and the proceeds remain with the principal offenders behind the arrangement.

This phenomenon is relevant to efforts to combat organised crime. By using straw men, offenders seek to evade criminal prosecution and to conceal their assets from law enforcement agencies.

In practice, straw men are regularly recruited from vulnerable groups and rewarded with a modest fee. Courts and investigative authorities assess whether the straw man acted with intent or has himself become a victim of deception.