Ashley Williams |
Name: Ashley Nicole Williams
School: Alcorn State University Major: Accountancy Mentor: Dr. Howard Lawrence Expected Graduation Date: May 2008 Organizations & Honors:
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ABSTRACT
The Truth Behind Corporate America: Why People Commit Occupational Fraud
| Occupational fraud is a growing problem in the world today. Fraud examiners use the fraud triangle as a means of determining why people commit a fraudulent act. The elements of the triangle created by Cressey are pressures, opportunity, and rationalization. Pressure is what motivates the person to commit the fraud in the first place. Opportunity is the method by which the fraud can be committed. Rationalization is the way the person justifies the crime to himself to make it acceptable. In order for fraud to occur, all three components of the fraud triangle must be present. |
| These elements are also useful when preventing fraud. In order to prevent fraud one must first understand what factors contribute to a person committing a fraudulent act. The purpose of this research is to give the reader a broader understanding of the factors that contribute to a person committing an occupational fraud. This paper also seeks to inform the reader on ways to prevent fraud. |