Exam 15: Interviewing Witnesses

James Turner, CFE, was called in to investigate a sales skimming case at Durant Hardware. During an admission-seeking interview of Nadia Brown, the primary suspect, James asked, "Did you just want some extra money, or did you do this because you had financial problems?" Nadia began crying and nodded yes. This small admission as a response to James' question is called a:

When asking informational questions, you should start with general questions and then proceed to specific questions.

When obtaining a written statement during an admission-seeking interview, the investigator should prepare the statement for the confessor to sign.

During an admission-seeking interview, the accused individual will likely present reasons why he or she could not have committed the offense. When this occurs, the fraud examiner should step in and diffuse these alibis by:

Which of the following is a rule that the interviewer should follow when asking questions during the introductory phase of the interview?

The purpose of informational questions is to gather unbiased, factual information. Which of the following is a type of informational question?

During the introductory phase of an interview, the respondent states that he won't provide any information unless he is promised confidentiality. In this situation, you should give in to his request to ensure that you get the information you are seeking.

Melinda Speed, CFE, was conducting an interview of Charles Fuhrman, the shipping manager at B&D Supply Co. During the interview, Charles sat with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs aimed awkwardly at the door. Charles' nonverbal clues indicate that he is probably being deceptive.

During an interview, you ask the respondent a question that contains the answer as part of the question. This is called a(n):

An open question is a question that is worded in a way that makes it difficult to answer with a simple "yes" or a "no."

Which of the following question types will generally not be asked during an information-gathering interview of a neutral witness?

Oral confessions are as legally binding as written confessions.

During an admission-seeking interview in which an accusation has been made, the respondent will normally object to the accusation and attempt to deny it. When you are convinced of the respondent's guilt, it is important to:

During a potentially volatile interview, there should be only one person in the room with the respondent in order to prevent intimidation.

When the subject of an investigation has been accused of misconduct, establishing a morally acceptable rationalization might allow the accused to reconcile his actions with his conscience. Which of the following is not an example of an acceptable rationalization?

Generally, there is nothing illegal about accusing an innocent person of misdeeds as long as:

During an interview, the respondent frequently uses the phrases "honestly" and "I swear to God." The respondent is giving a type of verbal clue known as:

In an admission-seeking interview, once the accused has provided a verbal confession, the interviewer should focus on obtaining:

Which of the following is not one of the primary purposes of asking introductory questions during an interview?

While conducting an interview, you have reason to believe that the respondent is not being truthful. What type of questions will help you establish the respondent's credibility?