Decode the psychology of how suspects justify fraud and master proven interview techniques to dismantle their defenses and uncover the truth.
Individuals involved in fraud often justify their conduct through internal narratives that minimize wrongdoing, shift blame, or portray misconduct as deserved or temporary. Understanding these rationalizations is critical for investigators, auditors, compliance professionals, and HR personnel seeking to conduct effective fraud-related interviews. This program examines the rationalization component of Cressey’s Fraud Triangle and demonstrates how behavioral insights can be used to strengthen interview strategy, encourage disclosures, and develop more persuasive investigative findings. Participants will explore common rationalization patterns, communication techniques for uncovering them, and practical methods for turning psychological insight into actionable interview outcomes.
Key Topics Discussed:
Owner - President | Successful Interviewing Techniques - a Division of Highly Motivated Inc.
Don retired as Deputy Director Western Campus, North Carolina Justice Academy, and was formerly manager of the Investigations Center of the North Carolina Justice Academy. Don has law enforcement experience in rural and municipal law enforcement agencies and instructional areas including Interviewing, Detecting Deception, Rapport Building, Interrogation, Persuasion, Audit-Related Interviewing, Investigations, and Investigative Discourse Analysis. For over a period of 35 years, his interviewing instruction and investigative assistance has been provided to related professionals in 46 U.S States as well as Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, Belgium, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Trinidad, Barbados, Singapore, Ireland, and England. In addition, he has provided training to Federal, State, and Local Criminal Justice Personnel, NATO Counterintelligence Personnel as well as private sector investigative and corporate security personnel. Don has his A.A.S. in Criminal Justice, from Davidson County Community College and a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration, from East Tennessee State University. He has performed advanced studies at Eastern Kentucky University and has military experience with the US Army. He is a published author of 4 texts: Interviewing and Interrogation 2nd edition; Investigative Discourse Analysis 2nd Edition; Persuasive Interviewing; Fraud Related Interviewing and is editor of the interviewing focused newsletter, Hamlet’s Mind.
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