PI Skills and Competencies 5

Question 1

A PI is asked to investigate a domestic situation involving a minor child. Which ethical obligation takes highest priority?

Accepted Answer

Protecting the child's safety and well-being above client interests

Answer

The welfare of a minor takes precedence over client objectives, and suspected abuse must be reported to appropriate authorities.

Question 2

Which type of surveillance is most appropriate when a subject is believed to be meeting contacts in multiple locations within a short time period?

Accepted Answer

Two-investigator team surveillance allowing leapfrog positioning

Answer

A two-investigator leapfrog team allows one PI to drop back and another to take over, reducing the risk of detection during multi-location movement.

Question 3

What is the primary purpose of maintaining a chain of custody for evidence collected during an investigation?

Accepted Answer

To establish that evidence has not been tampered with and remains admissible

Answer

An unbroken chain of custody proves evidence integrity and is required for it to be accepted in court proceedings.

Question 4

A PI is performing due diligence on a corporate merger target. Which source is most useful for identifying undisclosed litigation against the company?

Accepted Answer

PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) and state court databases

Answer

PACER and state court databases provide direct access to filed civil and bankruptcy cases that a company may not publicly disclose.

Question 5

When investigating insurance fraud involving staged vehicle accidents, which resource would best help identify repeat-claimant patterns?

Accepted Answer

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) database

Answer

The NICB maintains a database of fraud referrals and suspicious claims that can reveal individuals with repeated involvement in questionable incidents.

(PI) Certified Private Investigator Practice Test

(PI) Certified Private Investigator Practice Test

PI Skills and Competencies 5