The article establishes the scientific framework for addressing the question: who is the homo corruptus? By the term homo corruptus, the author designates the individual who either exploits an existing form of the phenomenon of corruption or creates a new one in order to achieve a particular goal. The article analyzes how a researcher of the forms of corruption should employ the theory of the phenomenon, so as to approach, in a scientifically rigorous manner and free from intentional traps and conceptual entanglements, a homo corruptus within a structure of coexistence. The aim of this approach is to enable the effective management of the forms of corruption that this homo corruptus utilizes. For the first time, the article introduces key concepts such as the “personal profile of the homo corruptus”, the “corruption strategy”, the “tactics of a form of corruption”, the “personal corruption footprint” and the “modus operandi” of a homo corruptus.