The posts in this blog make frequent mention of A.B.C.s of Behavioral Forensics. Below, we learn more about this prize-winning book.
BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF
“A.B.C.’s of Behavioral Forensics: Applying Psychology to Financial Fraud Prevention and Detection” by Sridhar Ramamoorti, Daven Morrison, Joseph Koletar, and Kelly Pope (2013, John Wiley & Sons)

How widespread is the fraud: Is it the apple, the bushel, or the crop? We often ask ourselves this question when we hear about the staggering amounts of fraud committed in this country. We also wonder why “good people do bad things.” By “bringing Freud to fraud,” this book emphasizes that fraud is a human act frequently motivated by an individual’s emotions and cognitive state (including associated group behavioral dynamics).
A rogue executive (a bad apple) seems quite capable of recruiting accomplices and perpetrate collusive fraud—hence the notion of bad bushels, as well as pervasive, toxic cultures spawning rampant fraud, producing bad crop scenarios.
For years, academic scholars have attempted to study and understand these behaviors. But the focus has been on the “how” rather than the “why” of fraud, with greed typically proffered as the primary rationale. The book uses behavioral science concepts such as “violation of trust,” to describe and explain fraud. Indeed, the psychology of fraud, or more broadly, “behavioral forensics,” is about learning to get into the fraudster’s mind, to “think like a crook to catch a crook”! Emotional manipulation, the big and small lies, the conscious and unconscious mind and their urgings, psychological defenses, human, trust-based relationships—all play a role. This non-technical book also looks at the psychology of the victims using real world case studies.

Join us for more insights into behavioral forensics (behind fraud and similar white collar crimes) from the authors of ABCs of Behavioral Forensics (Wiley, 2013): Sri Ramamoorti, Ph. D., Daven Morrison, M.D., and Joe Koletar, D.P.A., along with Vic Hartman, J.D. These distinguished experts come from the disciplines of psychology, medicine, accounting, law, and law enforcement to explain and prevent fraud. Because we are inspired to bring to light and address the fraud problems in today’s headlines, we encourage our readers to come back and revisit us regularly at BringingFreudtoFraud.com.