What do we cheat at most?

15:52 19 June 2009

New research has revealed the average Brit cheats their way through all walks of life, from cheating on friends and partners to fiddling expenses and forgetting to declare earnings.

A whopping four in 10 people admit they have cheated on at least one long term partner during their adult lifetime, while 12% of dishonest folk have betrayed a best friend by kissing or sleeping with their boyfriend or girlfriend.

More than half of Brits think nothing of cheating during board games, and 60% of gamers regularly source codes and 'walk-throughs' to get further in computer games.

But some of the cheating, revealed in the www.triviala.com poll of 6,724 people, has more serious consequences.

A staggering 18% of people admit to cheating or lying on their CV to land that all important job interview.

And in the style of Debra Barr on The Apprentice, one in 10 people will cheat their way into a job by any means necessary.

Perhaps even more worryingly, a fifth of people take a leaf out of MP's books by regularly fiddling their expenses.

And 10% have "forgotten" to declare earnings on their tax.

A spokesman for the website said: "It seems many people cheat to some extent, which makes recent moral outrage over MPs' expenses seem a little hypocritical.

"It's a question of scale.  It would seem that a lot of us (regardless who we are) try and get away with what we can."

The poll also revealed which 'celebrities' are considered by Brits to be the biggest cheats.

Sir Fred Goodwin, the former Chief Executive of RBS, has been named as the biggest cheat for claiming 700,000 pension award just one month before the company reported a loss of 24.1billion.

Robert Maxwell is the second biggest cheat for taking everyones pensions and then going missing.

Darren Day is the third worst cheat for cheating on girlfriend after girlfriend celebrity girlfriends who he cheated on include Tracy Shaw, Suzanne Shaw and Anna Friel.

MP Alistair Darling is fourth for claiming for two homes on his expenses, and in fifth place comes athlete Marion Jones for winning give Olympic gold medals after taking performance enhancing drugs.

The Triviala spokesman continued: "While cheating at a game is pretty inconsequential, if there are easy ways to gain without being caught, it seems that a lot of people, maybe most of us, will try to do it."

The top 10 cheats

1. Cheating on computer games 60%
2. Cheating on board games 51%
3. Cheated on a partner 34%
4. Cheating during poker / card games 27%
5. Cheated in exams 20%
6. Fiddled expenses 20%
7. Done children's homework 20%
8. Cheated or lied on a CV 18%
9. 'Forgotten' to declare earnings on tax 10%
10. Cheated in a job interview 9% 

The top 10 celebrity cheats

1. Sir Fred Goodwin - The Chief Executive of RBS claimed a 700,000 pension award a month before the company reported a loss of 24.1billion
2. Robert Maxwell took everyones pensions and then went missing
3. Darren Day for cheating on girlfriend after girlfriend
4. Alistair Darling claimed for two homes on his expenses
5. Marion Jones for winning five Olympic gold medals after taking performance enhancing drugs
6. Jeffrey Archer for perverting the course of justice and imprisonment
7. Bill Clinton for the sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky
8. Fred Bowers for claiming disability benefit after dancing on Britains Got Talent
9. Jackie Smith for allowing her husband to claim on her expenses for porn
10. Amy Winehouse for failing to perform at numerous gigs after fans paid thousands to see her