CPI Regulatory Compliance & Legal Framework 3

Question 1

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which of the following is a 'permissible purpose' for a private investigator to obtain a consumer credit report?

Accepted Answer

Use in connection with a court order or written instructions from the consumer

Answer

FCRA Section 604 permits credit report access in connection with a court order or when the consumer provides written instructions authorizing the disclosure.

Question 2

Which federal statute prohibits intercepting oral, wire, or electronic communications and provides for both criminal penalties and civil remedies?

Accepted Answer

Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act

Answer

Title III (18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2522) is the primary federal wiretapping law that criminalizes interception of communications and provides civil causes of action for violations.

Question 3

An investigator obtains a subject's trash left at the curb for collection. Which legal principle most directly supports the legality of this action?

Accepted Answer

There is no reasonable expectation of privacy in items abandoned and placed in a public area for pickup

Answer

Per California v. Greenwood, the Supreme Court held that individuals have no reasonable expectation of privacy in trash left at the curb for collection, making it accessible to investigators.

Question 4

A corporate investigator is tasked with reviewing employee emails on a company server. Which condition would MOST strengthen the legal defensibility of this review?

Accepted Answer

The company has a clearly communicated, written electronic monitoring policy that employees acknowledged

Answer

A written, acknowledged electronic monitoring policy eliminates employees' reasonable expectation of privacy in company systems, making the review legally defensible under ECPA's system provider exception.

Question 5

Which of the following best defines 'chain of custody' in an investigative context?

Accepted Answer

A documented, chronological record of who collected, handled, and transferred evidence to maintain its integrity

Answer

Chain of custody is the unbroken, documented record showing who possessed evidence at each step, ensuring it has not been tampered with and is admissible in legal proceedings.

(CPI) Certified Principal Investigator Practice Test

(CPI) Certified Principal Investigator Practice Test

CPI Regulatory Compliance & Legal Framework 3