CPI Professional Standards & Ethics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary ethical concern when an investigator uses pretextual interviews to gather information?
- Pretexts increase investigation costs unnecessarily
- Deception may violate legal statutes and professional ethical codes depending on jurisdiction and context (Correct answer)
- Pretexts are universally prohibited by ASIS standards
- Pretexts are only problematic when used against government officials
Correct answer: Deception may violate legal statutes and professional ethical codes depending on jurisdiction and context
While pretexts may sometimes be legally permissible, they raise ethical concerns about deception and may be prohibited under certain state laws or ASIS ethics guidelines.
Question 2: A CPI subcontracts part of an investigation to another firm. Who bears primary ethical and professional responsibility for the quality and legality of all work product?
- The subcontracting firm bears sole responsibility
- Responsibility is split equally between the CPI and subcontractor
- The CPI retains primary professional responsibility for all work performed on the assignment (Correct answer)
- No one bears responsibility once the subcontract is signed
Correct answer: The CPI retains primary professional responsibility for all work performed on the assignment
The contracting CPI remains professionally responsible for the conduct and quality of subcontractors engaged on their behalf.
Question 3: Which behavior violates the duty of loyalty an investigator owes to a client?
- Informing the client of investigative limitations at the outset
- Simultaneously working for a competitor of the client without disclosure (Correct answer)
- Recommending additional investigative resources outside the investigator's firm
- Providing the client with a written report of findings
Correct answer: Simultaneously working for a competitor of the client without disclosure
Working simultaneously for a client's competitor creates a conflict of interest that violates the duty of loyalty unless fully disclosed and consented to.
Question 4: According to professional standards, how should a CPI handle a situation where a client instructs them to use clearly illegal surveillance methods?
- Follow client instructions since the client assumes legal liability
- Attempt the methods and stop only if caught
- Refuse the instruction and, if necessary, withdraw from the engagement (Correct answer)
- Seek a second opinion from another investigator before deciding
Correct answer: Refuse the instruction and, if necessary, withdraw from the engagement
Investigators must refuse to engage in illegal conduct regardless of client instruction, and may need to terminate the engagement if the client insists.
Question 5: An investigator discovers that a prior investigation by another firm produced a report with fabricated evidence. The ethical obligation is to:
- Remain silent to avoid industry disputes
- Document the finding and report it to the appropriate professional or legal authority (Correct answer)
- Use the fabricated evidence if it supports the current client's position
- Destroy the prior report to prevent confusion
Correct answer: Document the finding and report it to the appropriate professional or legal authority
Investigators have an ethical duty to report known misconduct by other professionals to relevant authorities rather than remaining silent.
Question 6: Which standard governs how long a CPI should retain case files and evidence after an investigation concludes?
- Files must be destroyed immediately after report delivery
- Retention follows applicable legal requirements, contractual agreements, and professional standards (Correct answer)
- All files must be kept permanently regardless of circumstances
- Retention is solely at the client's discretion
Correct answer: Retention follows applicable legal requirements, contractual agreements, and professional standards
Evidence and case file retention must comply with applicable statutes of limitations, contractual terms, and professional standards for record keeping.
Question 7: A CPI is approached by a journalist seeking information from a current investigation. What is the appropriate response?
- Share general findings to raise the investigator's public profile
- Decline to discuss any aspect of the investigation to preserve client confidentiality (Correct answer)
- Share only publicly available information while confirming the investigation exists
- Refer the journalist to the investigator's website for credentials
Correct answer: Decline to discuss any aspect of the investigation to preserve client confidentiality
Client confidentiality prohibits investigators from confirming or discussing the existence or details of any ongoing investigation with unauthorized third parties.
CPI Professional Standards & Ethics 3
What is the primary ethical concern when an investigator uses pretextual interviews to gather information?