Many of the biggest frauds in history started out with a lie, and grew over time. We have a perception of the perpetrators as greedy, selfish people without a conscience, but often there are other factors at play.
Perhaps, most surprisingly, is the willing help the fraudsters get along the way.
NPR's recent story on The Psychology of Fraud: Why Good People Do Bad Things provides a fascinating insight into how these frauds occur.
Check out the NPR link here.
