ACFE Interview and Interrogation Techniques 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When interviewing multiple witnesses to the same fraud, the examiner should generally:
- Conduct all interviews simultaneously in a group setting
- Interview witnesses separately to prevent contamination of accounts (Correct answer)
- Share the statements of prior witnesses to refresh each interviewee's memory
- Allow witnesses to review documentary evidence before the interview
Correct answer: Interview witnesses separately to prevent contamination of accounts
Separate interviews prevent witnesses from aligning stories, contaminating independent recollections, or being influenced by dominant personalities.
Question 2: The 'Wicklander-Zulawski' interview technique differs from the Reid Technique primarily in that it:
- Relies exclusively on polygraph results to guide questioning
- Uses a non-accusatory, conversational approach to elicit admissions (Correct answer)
- Requires law enforcement presence during all interviews
- Prohibits the use of open-ended questions
Correct answer: Uses a non-accusatory, conversational approach to elicit admissions
The WZ technique emphasizes a non-confrontational, non-accusatory conversational style to reduce resistance and encourage voluntary disclosures.
Question 3: A fraud examiner discovers mid-interview that the witness is also a suspect. The examiner should:
- Continue the interview without changing approach to avoid tipping off the subject
- Immediately terminate the interview and arrest the suspect
- Reassess the interview strategy and consider the subject's legal rights (Correct answer)
- Confront the subject immediately with all available evidence
Correct answer: Reassess the interview strategy and consider the subject's legal rights
When a witness becomes a suspect, the examiner must reassess the approach and ensure the subject's rights are protected before continuing.
Question 4: What is the best use of silence during a fraud interview?
- Silence should always be filled by the examiner with follow-up questions
- Strategic silence after a question encourages the subject to fill the void with more information (Correct answer)
- Silence signals to the subject that the interview has concluded
- Silence is only appropriate after obtaining a full confession
Correct answer: Strategic silence after a question encourages the subject to fill the void with more information
People are uncomfortable with silence and often continue speaking to fill it, sometimes revealing information they had not intended to share.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a 'leading question' that should generally be avoided with witnesses?
- Can you describe what happened on the day in question?
- Did you see the defendant sign the check? (Correct answer)
- What, if anything, did you observe on that day?
- How would you describe your working relationship with the accused?
Correct answer: Did you see the defendant sign the check?
Leading questions like 'Did you see...' suggest the expected answer and can taint witness testimony.
Question 6: In a fraud investigation interview, 'active listening' techniques include all of the following EXCEPT:
- Paraphrasing the subject's statements to confirm understanding
- Maintaining appropriate eye contact
- Interrupting frequently to clarify minor points (Correct answer)
- Using minimal verbal encouragers like 'I see' or 'go on'
Correct answer: Interrupting frequently to clarify minor points
Frequent interruptions disrupt narrative flow and signal inattentiveness, which is contrary to active listening principles.
Question 7: What should a fraud examiner do if a subject invokes their right to counsel during an interrogation?
- Continue questioning on unrelated topics until counsel arrives
- Immediately cease all questioning and honor the invocation (Correct answer)
- Ask the subject to reconsider before stopping the interview
- Request that the subject sign a written waiver before stopping
Correct answer: Immediately cease all questioning and honor the invocation
Once a subject invokes the right to counsel, all questioning must stop immediately, as required by constitutional protections.
ACFE Interview and Interrogation Techniques 4
When interviewing multiple witnesses to the same fraud, the examiner should generally: