Fraud Examination
TOPIC 2
TUTORIAL SOLUTIONS
Albrecht et al Chapter 2
Discussion Questions
2. People can be motivated to commit fraud because of financial pressures, vices, or because of work-related pressures. As well, perpetrators of fraud can be motivated by a perceived opportunity to commit fraud and the ability to rationalize that what they are doing is not wrong. Their motivations are usually combined into the fraud triangle of perceived pressure, perceived opportunity, and rationalization.
3. The fraud triangle includes three elements that almost always must be present in order for someone to commit fraud: a perceived pressure, a perceived opportunity, and some way to rationalize the fraud as acceptable. The fraud triangle is important because it helps us to determine the motives, reasons, and opportunities that someone had in committing fraud. By using the fraud triangle, we can better focus on areas in an organization that will help us detect and prevent fraud.
4. The fraud scale illustrates the relationship between the three elements of the fraud triangle. It shows that perceived pressure, perceived opportunity, and rationalization are interactive. In other words, the greater the perceived opportunity or the more intense the perceived pressure, the less rationalization it takes to motivate someone to commit fraud. Likewise, the more dishonest a perpetrator is, the less opportunity and/or pressure it takes to motivate fraud.
7. Many factors provide opportunities for fraud including the inability to judge the quality of performance; failure to discipline fraud perpetrators; lack of access to information; ignorance, apathy, and incapacity; and lack of an audit trail.
8. Nearly every fraud involves the element of rationalization. Most perpetrators are first-time offenders who would not commit other types of crimes. Rationalizing helps minimize the perceived dishonesty of their acts. Common rationalizations include:
12. Fraud perpetrators use power
TUTORIAL SOLUTIONS
Albrecht et al Chapter 2
Discussion Questions
2. People can be motivated to commit fraud because of financial pressures, vices, or because of work-related pressures. As well, perpetrators of fraud can be motivated by a perceived opportunity to commit fraud and the ability to rationalize that what they are doing is not wrong. Their motivations are usually combined into the fraud triangle of perceived pressure, perceived opportunity, and rationalization.
3. The fraud triangle includes three elements that almost always must be present in order for someone to commit fraud: a perceived pressure, a perceived opportunity, and some way to rationalize the fraud as acceptable. The fraud triangle is important because it helps us to determine the motives, reasons, and opportunities that someone had in committing fraud. By using the fraud triangle, we can better focus on areas in an organization that will help us detect and prevent fraud.
4. The fraud scale illustrates the relationship between the three elements of the fraud triangle. It shows that perceived pressure, perceived opportunity, and rationalization are interactive. In other words, the greater the perceived opportunity or the more intense the perceived pressure, the less rationalization it takes to motivate someone to commit fraud. Likewise, the more dishonest a perpetrator is, the less opportunity and/or pressure it takes to motivate fraud.
7. Many factors provide opportunities for fraud including the inability to judge the quality of performance; failure to discipline fraud perpetrators; lack of access to information; ignorance, apathy, and incapacity; and lack of an audit trail.
8. Nearly every fraud involves the element of rationalization. Most perpetrators are first-time offenders who would not commit other types of crimes. Rationalizing helps minimize the perceived dishonesty of their acts. Common rationalizations include:
12. Fraud perpetrators use power