Personal Reflections on Researching Fraud: Challenges Surrounding the Ethics of 'Doing'

This chapter reflects on the ethical dilemmas that the researcher has faced in her career when conducting research with fraud victims. It argues that the process of gaining ethics approval does not account for the reality of ethical dilemmas encountered in the field when doing the research. Instead, her experience suggests that there are ongoing ethical considerations focused on both participants and the researcher’s role, which require constant navigation. In part, this chapter argues that some of these challenges are unique to fraud victims, based on the inherent characteristics of their victimization, while others can be applied more broadly to sensitive research areas. Overall, this chapter highlights the “messiness” of fraud research and attempts to present ethical considerations as an ongoing process and conversation rather than straightforward dialogue or a formal approval process