Page 251 - Deception at work all chapters EBook

252 Deception at Work

Probably the most common blocking question of all is used by customs officers when you
arrive in a country.

Example : ‘Have you anything to declare?’
Question: ‘No, (because) I spent all of my money before I got to the duty free shop.’
Answer: ‘Have you read this notice which shows what you are allowed to import duty
Block: free? ’
‘Yes, but obviously I have not read every word.’ (Lack of commitment)
Answer: ‘So you are telling me you have nothing with you in excess of those allowances.’
Block: ‘That’s right. I never buy duty free stuff.’ (Generalization)
Answer: ‘And is there any possibility that you may have forgotten something you have
Block: bought while overseas?’
‘No, not unless Father Christmas got into my case.’ (Misplaced humour)
Answer:

When the passenger’s bags are subsequently searched and expensive jewellery and a credit
card voucher for its purchase discovered, he is left with no plausible excuse. His answers have
established guilty knowledge and pinned him into a corner.

You may use blocking questions to test to what extent the subject is going to volunteer
information.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT

‘Have you ever used narcotic drugs such as cocaine, crack or heroin?’
‘No.’
‘Or cannabis, LSD or ecstasy?’
‘Not that I can recall.’
‘But you have experimented with them?’
‘Yes, but I did not inhale.’
‘Then why didn’t you volunteer that information when I first asked you?’
‘Because you only asked about cocaine, crack and heroin.’
‘I used the words narcotic drugs and gave them as an example to see how honest you were.
I think you were playing on words. Now I want to ask you a very serious question about
[important topic].’

You should consider using blocking questions when you have incriminating evidence,
which – under the deception theory – the suspect may be able to explain with a plausible, but
false, excuse. The suspect’s responses to blocking questions are very important (Table 7.9).

Blocking questions should be asked in a low-key way so that you do not alert the suspect
to their real significance. If he fails to volunteer the truth, this omission should be used later
to increase his anxiety.

Example : ‘A few moments ago I asked you if you had ever claimed expenses to which you
were not entitled and you said that you had not. I asked the question again and you gave the
same reply. I am now going to show you this claim. It is false, isn’t it?’