Theoretical Reasons Why Individuals Commit Financial Fraud

I conducted research on the three tenants of the Fraud Triangle and the theories that were built from it, allowing me to identify the common reasons why people violate ethical standards and commit fraud. Having evaluated different theories for understanding fraudulent motivations and rationalizations, witnessing current practices in the field of forensic accounting, and analyzing input from peers, I have been able to identify the behind-the-scenes rationales of why people commit financial fraud. My research proves the importance of teaching individuals behavioral ethics to prevent themselves from entering situations that could lead them to commit fraud. This is an ongoing education that needs to be taught as technology changes and fraud techniques improve. Employees need to be constantly reminded of these key issues. Unfortunately, if individuals never learn to prevent themselves from acting on unknown biases, they could instead be learning the serious legal and financial consequences of their ignorance in behavioral ethics.