Catching Cheats

Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award Finalist, 2025

A renowned researcher takes readers inside the hunt for Wall Street's biggest frauds, revealing the forensic techniques that catch corporate criminals in the act.

The world of business runs on trust, but that trust is routinely broken. From stock market manipulation to accounting fraud, corporate executives and Wall Street insiders find endless, creative ways to cheat the system. With engaging stories and compelling data analysis, Erik Lie reveals how these schemes work and how to catch them.

Through real cases such as Martha Stewart’s insider trading, Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, and the LIBOR rate-fixing scandal, readers will learn the following:

Two powerful methods for detecting systematic fraud using dataHow cheaters leave behind telltale statistical patternsWhy some of Wall Street's biggest frauds persisted for years despite red flagsThe role of whistleblowers, journalists, and researchers in exposing deception
Packed with intriguing examples and whimsical illustrations, this eye-opening guide shows how anyone can help expose corporate misconduct hiding in plain sight.