Professional Standards & Ethics Flashcards
7 cards from real CPI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professional Standards & Ethics flashcards as text
A CPI is hired to investigate potential insurance fraud but discovers the client (an insurance company) may itself be engaging in bad-faith claims practices. What is the ethical course of action?
Answer: Document observations about the client's conduct, consult legal counsel, and consider whether withdrawal is required
When a client's own conduct becomes potentially illegal or unethical, the investigator must seek legal guidance and evaluate whether continuing the engagement is appropriate.
What does the concept of 'informed consent' mean in the context of investigative interviews?
Answer: The interviewer must disclose their identity and the purpose of the interview when legally or ethically required
In contexts where honesty is required, informed consent means the investigator truthfully identifies themselves and the interview's purpose before proceeding.
Which element is essential to maintain a defensible chain of custody for digital evidence?
Answer: Documenting every person who handled the evidence, the time of transfer, and the purpose
A defensible chain of custody requires a continuous, documented record of who accessed evidence, when, and why, from collection through presentation.
An investigator's personal beliefs conflict with the lawful investigative objective of an assignment. The ethical and professional response is to:
Answer: Decline the assignment rather than let personal bias compromise objectivity
When personal beliefs would compromise objectivity, the professional course is to decline the assignment rather than risk biased findings.
Under ASIS standards, a CPI who discovers they have exceeded the authorized scope of an investigation should:
Answer: Immediately stop the out-of-scope activity, document it, and notify the client
Immediately stopping unauthorized activity, documenting it, and informing the client are required to maintain transparency and avoid legal and ethical liability.
What is the significance of the 'duty of care' in professional investigations?
Answer: It obligates investigators to take reasonable precautions to avoid harm to subjects, third parties, and evidence
Duty of care in investigations means taking reasonable steps to avoid foreseeable harm to subjects, uninvolved third parties, and the integrity of evidence.
A CPI completes a case and receives the final fee. The client later asks the investigator to alter the written report to strengthen the client's legal position. The correct response is to:
Answer: Decline to alter factual findings but offer to clarify any ambiguous language
Investigators must not alter factual findings for client convenience, though they may clarify genuine ambiguities that do not change substantive conclusions.