CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The study entails the rapid increase of the case of fraud in the financial institutions and how it affects the performance of these financial institutions. People are scared of taking their money to banks because of fear of fraud. Although various procedures for prevention of this ugly act exist, but it seems like the most powerful remedy is the intervention of God.
Different authors and researchers emerge with their definitions on the concept of financial fraud. The followings are most of the definitions.
According to Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary, fraud is defined as the crime of cheating in order to get money or goods illegally.
According to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting, United States, fraud is defined as those intentional distortions of financial statement or other records which are carried out to conceal the misappropriation of asset or otherwise.
Adeniyi (2001), fraud refers to intentional act by one or more individuals among management, employees, or third parties which results in a misrepresentation of financial statements.
However, having closely studied these approaches from definition of fraud, especially from the banking perspective, banking fraud can be seen as a deliberate act by an individual or group inside or outside the banking system to cheat, swindle or manipulate another to dispose the bank depositors or shareholders of their funds.
