In this online engineering PDH course, the engineering-ethics aspects of theft through fraud are examined in light of standards of conduct expected of professional engineers. “Theft through fraud” refers to a type of theft in which deception—rather than force or unlawful entry—is involved. The purpose of this course is to widen the professional engineer’s understanding of engineering ethics through consideration of six case studies of theft though fraud committed by engineers. The studies describe actual cases that have been successfully prosecuted by agencies of the U.S. federal government. This course is intended for engineers interested in increasing their knowledge of engineering ethics through the study of real-life examples. This course is based on the document, “Engineering Ethics—Case Studies in Theft through Fraud,” written by Mark Rossow.

Learning Objectives

• Understanding the key role of deceit in defining fraud
• Appreciating the severity of the sentences and fines that can follow from conviction for fraud
• Understanding what legal charges result when theft through fraud is discovered
• Determining the relation between illegal acts and acts which violate Standards of Conduct in ethical codes for professional engineers