Investigative Techniques & Case Management Flashcards
7 cards from real CFA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Investigative Techniques & Case Management flashcards as text
An agent receives a tip about ongoing criminal activity at a specific location. Before conducting physical surveillance, what should the agent do FIRST?
Answer: Conduct a preliminary records check and assess legal authority for surveillance
Before physical surveillance, agents must verify legal authority and conduct records checks to plan operations lawfully and safely.
Which technique is MOST effective when interviewing a subject who is being deceptive?
Answer: Using open-ended questions and allowing the subject to elaborate, then probing inconsistencies
Open-ended questions allow deceptive subjects to elaborate, creating inconsistencies that can be probed without triggering defensiveness.
In case management, what does 'closing a lead' mean?
Answer: Documenting that a specific lead has been fully investigated and the result recorded
Closing a lead means fully documenting its investigation and outcome, not abandoning it, so the record reflects what was pursued and found.
A field agent must testify about observations made six months earlier. What is the BEST way to prepare?
Answer: Review detailed contemporaneous notes and reports written at the time of observation
Contemporaneous notes written at the time of observation are the most reliable foundation for accurate testimony about past events.
What is the purpose of a 'be on the lookout' (BOLO) notice in field investigations?
Answer: To alert law enforcement and other agencies to watch for a specific person, vehicle, or item
A BOLO notice disseminates identifying information to multiple agencies so they can assist in locating a specific subject, vehicle, or item.
When an agent's investigative report contains sensitive source information, what is the appropriate handling procedure?
Answer: Redact or separately document source identity using controlled access procedures
Sensitive source information must be protected through redaction or controlled access documentation to protect informants while preserving evidentiary value.
During a search, an agent finds evidence of a crime unrelated to the current investigation. This is known as what?
Answer: Plain view doctrine evidence
Evidence of a crime discovered incidentally during a lawful search falls under the plain view doctrine and may be seized and reported.