Psychology of Fraud: Why Good People Do Bad Things
All Things Considered, May 2012

Fraud is a crime that makes people uneasy: The potential harm is huge, the moral line crossed is clear, and yet the perpetrators are often straitlaced professionals holding down nine-to-five jobs or raising kids in the suburbs. This episode of NPR’s flagship news podcast, All Things Considered, takes as its jumping-off point new psychology research suggesting we are all capable of acting in ways that wildly conflict with our moral compass if the right situation presents itself. The producers take a deep dive into the case of Toby Groves—a much-loved small-business owner who committed fraud on a monumental scale when he discovered his company was in debt. The most jarring detail? His employees, and ev...