Too often people are blindsided when they discover they,
or their employers, have fallen victim to embezzlement. Fraud can rip apart
families, tank businesses and be the source for trust issues for years to come.
Luckily, there are several red flags and psychological markers that can help
predict why some people may go through with fraud and what commonalities they
may have.
In conjunction with their annual International Fraud
Awareness Week, November 12-18, 2017, the Association of Certified Fraud
Examiners (ACFE) has
offered up two videos explaining why people commit fraud, and what common
traits fraudsters possess. The “Why Do People Commit Fraud?” video explores how
pressure, opportunity and rationalization — called the Fraud Triangle — can
come together to influence an individual to commit fraud. The “What Does a
Fraudster Look Like?” video dives into what similarities fraudsters have, such
as age, gender, tenure at a company and more.
The videos are available for free on FraudWeek.com and can
be embedded in social media, news stories or webpages. The data is sourced from
the 2016 ACFE Report to the Nations on
Occupational Fraud and Abuse, the ACFE’s global fraud study. “Our main goal
for Fraud Week is to raise fraud awareness among as many people and communities
as possible. These educational videos are a great tool for getting that word
out,” said Bruce Dorris, CFE, CPA, CVA, vice president and program director for
the ACFE. “We are encouraging anti-fraud professionals, members of the media
and anyone interested in spreading an anti-fraud message to use these tools.”
Individuals and organizations can sign up as official
Fraud Week supporters at FraudWeek.com.
They can access other resources including free guides, infographics and more on
the site. For more information, contact Sarah Hofmann at SHofmann@ACFE.com or (512) 478-9000.
About the
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
Based in Austin, Texas, the ACFE is the world’s largest
anti-fraud organization and premier provider of anti-fraud training and
education. Together with more than 80,000 members, the ACFE is reducing
business fraud worldwide and inspiring public confidence in the integrity and
objectivity within the profession. For more information, visit ACFE.com.