Transcending borders: unveiling financial statement fraud's public interest impact

Fraudulent financial statements, prepared with the intention to deceive, are a costly social and global problem. In this study, we discuss the role of financial reporting in the public interest within the context of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) Policy Position 5, A Definition of the Public Interest, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Code of Professional Conduct definition of the public interest principle. We follow this by evaluating how financial statement fraud impacts the public interest. Finally, using the Lehman Brothers case, which illustrates whistleblower retaliation, earnings management, and corporate governance failure, we examine accounting malfeasance that transcends local and national jurisdictions and violates public trust.