Interview and Interrogation Techniques Flashcards
7 cards from real ACFE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Interview and Interrogation Techniques flashcards as text
When interviewing multiple witnesses to the same fraud, the examiner should generally:
Answer: Interview witnesses separately to prevent contamination of accounts
Separate interviews prevent witnesses from aligning stories, contaminating independent recollections, or being influenced by dominant personalities.
The 'Wicklander-Zulawski' interview technique differs from the Reid Technique primarily in that it:
Answer: Uses a non-accusatory, conversational approach to elicit admissions
The WZ technique emphasizes a non-confrontational, non-accusatory conversational style to reduce resistance and encourage voluntary disclosures.
A fraud examiner discovers mid-interview that the witness is also a suspect. The examiner should:
Answer: Reassess the interview strategy and consider the subject's legal rights
When a witness becomes a suspect, the examiner must reassess the approach and ensure the subject's rights are protected before continuing.
What is the best use of silence during a fraud interview?
Answer: Strategic silence after a question encourages the subject to fill the void with more information
People are uncomfortable with silence and often continue speaking to fill it, sometimes revealing information they had not intended to share.
Which of the following is an example of a 'leading question' that should generally be avoided with witnesses?
Answer: Did you see the defendant sign the check?
Leading questions like 'Did you see...' suggest the expected answer and can taint witness testimony.
In a fraud investigation interview, 'active listening' techniques include all of the following EXCEPT:
Answer: Interrupting frequently to clarify minor points
Frequent interruptions disrupt narrative flow and signal inattentiveness, which is contrary to active listening principles.
What should a fraud examiner do if a subject invokes their right to counsel during an interrogation?
Answer: Immediately cease all questioning and honor the invocation
Once a subject invokes the right to counsel, all questioning must stop immediately, as required by constitutional protections.