Who is Most Likely to Commit Fraud at Your Company?

Profile of a Fraudster Drawn from ACFE Survey of Experts

The ACFE's 2010 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse is based on data compiled from a study of 1,843 cases of occupational fraud that occurred worldwide between January 2008 and December 2009. All information was provided by the Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs) who investigated those cases. The fraud cases in our study came from 106 nations — with more than 40 percent of cases occurring in countries outside the United States — providing a truly global view into the plague of occupational fraud.

Key findings about fraud perpetrators from the 84-page Report include:

  • High-level perpetrators cause the greatest damage to their organizations.
  • Fraud offenders were likely to be found in one of six departments.

  • More than half of all cases in the study were committed by individuals between the ages of 31 and 45.
  • Most of the fraudsters in the study had never been previously charged or convicted for a fraud-related offense.
  • Fraud perpetrators often display warning signs that they are engaging in illicit activity.

In our 2010 Report, we have, for the first time ever, widened our study to include cases from countries outside the United States. This expansion allows us to more fully explore the truly global nature of occupational fraud and provides an enhanced view into the severity and impact of these crimes. Additionally, we are able to compare the anti-fraud measures taken by organizations worldwide in order to give fraud fighters everywhere the most applicable and useful information to help them in their fraud prevention and detection efforts.

Read more about the 2010 Report to the Nations here.