Investigation Techniques & Ethics Flashcards
7 cards from real CFS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Investigation Techniques & Ethics flashcards as text
An investigator discovers that a key witness has a financial incentive to provide favorable testimony. This situation represents a risk to which investigative principle?
Answer: Witness reliability and credibility
A witness with a financial incentive has a bias that undermines their credibility and the reliability of their testimony in the investigation.
The 'funnel approach' to interviewing in fraud investigations involves:
Answer: Starting with broad, open-ended questions and progressively narrowing to specific issues
The funnel approach moves from broad open questions to increasingly specific ones, allowing the subject to provide a narrative before being challenged with details.
Under professional ethics standards, when should a fraud investigator withdraw from an engagement?
Answer: When a conflict of interest is discovered that cannot be mitigated
An investigator must withdraw when an unresolvable conflict of interest exists that would impair independence or objectivity.
Which analytical technique maps relationships between people, organizations, accounts, and transactions to visualize fraud schemes?
Answer: Link analysis
Link analysis (also called network analysis) graphically maps connections between entities to reveal fraud networks and hidden relationships.
A fraud examiner conducting an asset search discovers property held in a spouse's name. The examiner should:
Answer: Document the asset and investigate whether it represents concealed fraud proceeds
Assets held by family members may represent attempts to conceal fraud proceeds; the examiner must document and investigate the connection.
Which of the following statements about the use of informants in fraud investigations is TRUE?
Answer: Information from informants should be independently corroborated before acting on it
Informant information carries credibility risks and must be independently verified through corroborating evidence before conclusions are drawn.
During an investigation, an employee volunteers information implicating a supervisor in fraud. The investigator should FIRST:
Answer: Document the information and evaluate its credibility before taking further action
Volunteered information must be documented and assessed for reliability and corroboration before it influences investigative decisions or actions.