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perpetrator’s education Level
Education level may also affect fraud rates and losses, because more highly educated individuals tend to have greater
levels of responsibility and perhaps greater technical ability to design sophisticated fraud schemes. The following chart
shows the distribution of perpetrators in this study based on their education level. Fifty-two percent of all perpetrators
had a college or postgraduate degree, which was up slightly from our 2008 findings. As would be expected, median
losses rose in correlation with increased education levels, but losses caused by individuals with a postgraduate degree
were much lower in 2010 than in our 2008 study.
Education of Perpetrator — Frequency
2010
Education Level of Perpetrator College Degree 17.1% 20.8% 34.4% 38.0%
14.0%
Postgraduate Degree
10.9%
2008
Some College
28.8%
High School Graduate
33.9%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Percent of Cases
Education of Perpetrator — Median loss
2010
Education Level of Perpetrator College Degree $136,000 $210,000
$300,000
Postgraduate Degree
$550,000
2008
$234,000
Some College
$196,000
High School Graduate
$100,000
$100,000
$0 $100,000 $200,000 $300,000 $400,000 $500,000 $600,000
Median Loss
2010 RepoRt to the NAtioNs ON OccuPATIONAl FRAUD ANd AbuSE | 59
