A fraudster can understate expenses to make a company seem more profitable. Is this statement true or false?

The statement is true. A fraudster can understate expenses as part of a scheme to manipulate financial statements and enhance the appearance of a company's profitability. By reducing reported expenses, a company can artificially inflate its net income, making it look more favorable to investors, creditors, and other stakeholders. This is a common fraudulent practice known as earnings manipulation, where the intent may be to meet financial covenants, secure additional funding, or manipulate stock prices.

Understating expenses can occur through various methods, such as failing to record certain liabilities, deferring costs that should be recognized in the current period, or using deceptive accounting practices. This results in a distorted view of the financial health of the company, ultimately misleading those who rely on the accuracy of financial reports.

Understanding this practice helps highlight the importance of robust internal controls, regular audits, and ethical standards in financial reporting to detect and prevent such fraudulent activities.