June 29th, 2024

How to get away with fraud (2018)

Financial fraud, exemplified by the Libor rate-fixing scandal involving major banks like Barclays, thrives in low-trust environments. The article explores fraud's nuances, emphasizing the importance of trust management in preventing misconduct.

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How to get away with fraud (2018)

The article discusses the intricacies of financial fraud, focusing on the Libor rate-fixing scandal involving Barclays and other major banks. It highlights how fraud can go unnoticed for years due to its nature of working outside the normal field of vision. The piece delves into the specifics of the Libor scandal, where traders were caught discussing illegal activities in chat records, leading to fines and regulatory sanctions. The narrative also touches on the concept of trust in economic systems and how fraud thrives in environments with low trust. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of managing trust in modern industrial economies to prevent fraudulent activities. It provides insights into the flaws of the Libor system and how it contributed to the financial crisis of 2007-2008. The piece offers a critical analysis of the financial sector's vulnerabilities to fraud and the need for robust systems to safeguard against such misconduct.

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By @ChrisMarshallNY - 5 months
> bordering on arrogance

I've known a number of traders.

I wouldn't call it "bordering." In fact, from my experience, they are so far in-country, the border is a distant memory.

By @o11c - 5 months
One misaligned incentive that jumps out at me: if an analyst (working for an investor) finds something that looks like fraud in a company, do they have any motive to expose the fraud to investors besides the one hiring them? Are they even allowed to?
By @omgJustTest - 5 months
Was totally expecting : “commit fraud, get caught, then launch a counter lawsuit against the SEC saying they have no power to regulate, get it in front of the current US Supreme Court. They’ll believe it.”