Fraud

Although there is currently no single accepted definition for the concept of fraud, it is generally agreed that for an act to be classified as “fraudulent,” it has to involve some form of trickery or dishonesty instigated with the intention of gaining an unfair advantage over another. Typical crimes in this sense include insider trading, falsifying information, asset misappropriation, phone/e-mail scams, bribery, and material misstatements. More often than not, those who engage in such acts of deception do so to enrich themselves (or their companies) at the expense of their victims. Although crimes of this sort have long posed a threat to markets around the world, it is widely believed that—partly because of the emergence of new technologies, such as the Internet, that make (anonymous) ...