Consistent with the economics of crime approach, this paper finds that insider selling is
decreasing in the perceived costs of potential private and public enforcement upon
discovery of GAAP misstatements, and increasing in managerial private benefits as
measured by the market reaction to the misstatement announcement. Additionally,
insiders at fraud firms sell more on average, although the intensity of their trades is less
likely to be associated with the magnitude of their private information. Further analysis
suggests that managers perceive a higher cost of public enforcement in the post-Enron
period.