The jails are full of people who enriched themselves through lies. But how often do ordinary Americans fib for the sake of money?
The personal finance website Self set out to explore this and other questions in a survey of 2,600 U.S. adults.
What the website found is that 75.3% of respondents said they lie about money sometimes, depending on whom they are talking to and the circumstances of the discussion.
When it comes to significant others, for example, 45.7% of adults said they tell their partners "everything," while 30.1% said their partners know "quite a lot," according to Self.
"But we are much more guarded about discussing money with family members, co-workers and even close friends," the report said. "Participants told us they are more comfortable talking with others about their age, weight and mental health than their credit card debt or income."
The following, in ascending order, were the most frequent lies told by U.S. adults, along with the percentage of people who confessed to telling them.
10. Concealing a windfall from a partner (such as a surprise check, gift, refund or winnings).
11%
"Among those who admitted concealing a windfall from a partner, 33.2% felt embarrassed or hopeless about their savings, compared with 26.6% of the group that didn’t lie," the report said.
9. Lying on a tax return.
13.4%
Baby boomers are more likely to do this than younger adults, according to the survey. "With older generations more likely to live on fixed incomes, they may feel justified in meeting what they consider their basic needs before paying what they owe to the government," the report said.
8. Lying to a partner about how much debt you have.
15%
"The situation has been lampooned in sitcoms and with memes, but it’s no laughing matter," the report said. "According to some psychologists, it can have mental health consequences that are worse than cheating."
7. Lying in a job interview when asked about your previous salary.
21.5%
Those who tell this fib don't seem to feel too bad about it, according to the survey. "People who lie about their income during interviews are generally more satisfied with their salaries than people who don’t," the report said.
6. Exaggerating how much something costs to friends, family or a partner.
22.1%
Among people who do this, a third said they think their friends probably think they're richer than they are. "People who exaggerate prices may be living beyond their means and trying to project an image of being more successful," the report said.
5. Misrepresenting or concealing income on a financial aid application.
23.4%
"People with household incomes between $50,000 and $75,000 are most likely to fudge their application numbers," the report said.
4. Hiding a bank account or credit card from a partner.
24.2%
"Millennials are the generation most likely to keep their accounts secret (22.9% of millennials vs. 9% of Gen Z, 20.9% of Gen X and 19.7% of baby boomers)," the report said.
3. Misrepresenting or concealing income on a health insurance application.
27.4%
College graduates (34.1%) are almost three times more likely to fudge answers on a health insurance application than people with only a high school education (13.7%).
2. Hiding a purchase from a partner or family member.
40.1%
Parents of young children (50.3%) are more apt to hide purchases than people without children (40.7%), according to the report. "If the item is for themselves, they may feel guilt over not spending that money instead on their children," Self said.
1. Downplaying how much something cost.
46.6%
Women are slightly more likely than men to play down the cost of something (48.3% to 45%), according to the survey.
The full report can be viewed here.
