ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the importance of motivation as a means of preventing fraud. It focuses on the motivation for workplace frauds where there is more research. The chapter looks at economic rationality, opportunity, and the influences that can pressurize or trigger causes for fraud. Criminologists have considered the issue of what makes a crime possible over many years, with an assessment that all that was needed for a crime to occur was a motivated offender, a suitable victim and the absence of a capable guardian. In many ways, criminological research has given only partial insights, whereas a more complete understanding may helpfully guide fraud prevention efforts. Until then, those in charge of fraud management need to make the most of whatever information is available about why people commit fraud; not to do so, is to miss a trick, and a potentially important one at that.
