Fraud triangle: http://www.acfe.com/fraud-triangle.aspx http://www.acfe.com/fraud-triangle.aspx Fraud is usually a combination of opportunity, pressure, and ra

Fraud triangle: http://www.acfe.com/fraud-triangle.aspx http://www.acfe.com/fraud-triangle.aspx Fraud is usually a combination of opportunity, pressure, and rationalization. It sounds like a bad powerpoint slide, but it changed the way I think. People are untrusting and dishonest partly because they're poor or desperate (pressure). (edit: someone who makes 100K but can't make debt payments is also under high pressure and a fraud risk, as is a CEO who may get fired for missing his numbers). And reputation systems decrease opportunity, making people more honest. And a personal touch (e.g. a walmart greeter) makes it harder to rationalize cheating. One thing the fraud triangle is missing though is culture/learned behavior. If you're around other people who steal, you're more likely to think stealing is normal. And when you've stolen in the past, your mind has also learned the pattern of stealing and you're more likely to steal in the future. Reputation systems plant into people's minds the patterns of trust and honesty. Cash registers, credit reports, and star ratings have likely made people more honest.