What could be a more accurate shorthand for describing inflated commissions expenses than “influencer fees”? See http://www.sec.gov/News/PressRelease/Detail/PressRelease/1370541453075#.VLJl3naInqM for an SEC press release implicating public sector corruption.
Consider:
- Public relations
- Political contributions
- Gifts
- Tips
- Advances
- Premium
- Goodwill
- Advertising
- Promotion
As recollected language is the primary tool for the preservation and communication of history, including the accounting for transactions, an intriguing social exercise and compromise is common to the recording and reporting of fraudulent / misleading transactions; i.e., the artful striking of a balance between calling it what it is (e.g., bribes) and calling it what it is not (e.g., repairs and maintenance) is negotiated between operations and finance divisions. Often, fraud examiners and other investigators speak of codes developed by fraudsters, co-conspirators, facilitators, etc. so as to communicate accurately to one another but leave outsiders (momentarily) perplexed and in the dark.
The study of fraud (and financial forensics) should include sub-studies of history, literature, and other disciplines that afford the student the opportunity to distinguish between authentic description and misleading puffery. Add the study of law, from which the student realizes that admissible (skilled) expert opinion means officially / judicially sanctioned reliability and not truthfulness (otherwise, there would not exist battles of the experts in the courts) and the study of accounting, from which the student realizes that earnings management is OK (q.v. reserves, loss contingencies), and the graduate will be armed to thrive in a world of euphemism. Cf. scholars’ use of the concepts of convergent and discriminant validity.
Alternatively, the student may study one of the hard sciences (q.v. STEM), appreciating the observation communicated recently to me by my son that ‘the world has too many scientists making bombs and not enough doctors practicing medicine.’ NB: this from a boy who is currently virtually ridding the world of evil through his electronic gaming system.
