Conducting fraud inquiry through interviewing a suspected fraudster is a complex process that involves a holistic analysis of various behavioral systems in order to arrive at a productive conclusion. There is no single behavior that is solely used to accurately judge a deceptive behavior. The interview should pay attention to timing and consistency of both verbal and non-verbal clues, which serve as a guide to detecting a deceptive behavior (DePaulo and Wetzel, 2003, p.76).
The interviewer should extensively take notes while employing good use of observation and listening skills in order to formulate logical follow up questions after getting responses and observing the behavior patterns of the suspect. For good listening and observation skills to be successful, it is necessary for the interviewer to ensure there are no environmental factors that would interrupt the process. (Rabon and Chapman, 2010, p.50)
DePaulo and Wetzel (2003) noted that a deceptive person tries to hide their behaviors by means of restraining from certain clues that reveal their deception (p.76). When a liar omits the incriminatory part of the story, they raise more questions on the reasons behind the omission. This welcomes more interrogations that would lead to detection of a deception
When a person gives deceptive answers to a given questions, a natural psychological processes that influence on non-verbal and extra linguistics would automatically follow the answer. The non-verbal and extra linguistics include less smiling, fake smiling, excessive blinking, biting lips, and covering mouth with hand. As argued by Zulawski and Wicklander (2002) suspects tend to conceal their actual emotions with another (p.107). However, the involuntary facial expressions betray their consciously controlled emotion (Zulawski and Wicklander, 2002, p.107)
Zulawski and Wicklander (2002) further holds that despite the ability of a person to fake certain behaviors that may seem to be truthful, the real attitude that is incongruent with the behavior the individual is trying to fake unconsciously manifest through uncontrolled body language (p.108). Such body language includes frequent motion of hands, playing with objects and change in sitting posture. The investigator should therefore critically assess such change in behavior based on the behavior that was exhibited in the early part of the interview.
Another way through which an individual may be detected of committing fraud is through studying their stress levels. Although people may naturally become nervous and uncomfortable at the beginning of interrogation because of the uncertainty, their stress level is expected to lower with time (Goman, 2013, p.26). Goman (2013) argues that untruthful suspect becomes more stressed instead of becoming comfortable with time due to fear of being detected (p.27).
Change in speech patterns such as the change in speed of talking, talking softer, and raising the pitch in verbal clues can be used to judge falsified information. Due to content complexity of fraud cases, it is cognitively difficult for the suspect to lie than being truthful and consequently lead to issues such as less content, contradiction, inconsistency of the verbal and body language. Deceptive people would limit the details of information by spending a little time speaking and taking longer response time trying to fabricate a story that would not contradict earlier account (Zulawski and Wicklander, 2002, p.109). Additionally the accused may give defensive answers when asked particular questions that threaten to conceal their lies. Other verbal clues include the intentional change of the topic of discussion by the suspect in the process of interview .The tactful escape underscore the need to delve deeper into the reasons of diverging from the real issue.
It is important to bear in mind that the entire process of identifying credibility of the information given by a suspected fraudster encompasses the use of body movements, verbal and non-verbal clues all together in order to avoid hasty and incredible judgment.
Works cited
DePaulo, Bella M, and Chris Wetzel. Verbal and Nonverbal Dynamics of Privacy Secrecy, And
Deceit. Estados Unidos: Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. SPSSI, 2003. Print.
Goman, Carol Kinsey. The Truth About Lies In The Workplace. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler
Publishers, 2013. Print.
Rabon, Don, and Tanya Chapman. Fraud-related Interviewing. Durham, NC: Carolina
Academic, 2010. Print.
Zulawski, David E, and Douglas E Wicklander. Practical Aspects Of Interview And
Interrogation. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press, 2002. Print.
