Page 259 - Deception at work all chapters EBook

260 Deception at Work

The guilty subject may try to confuse the handwriting expert by giving poor samples and
by making no attempt to copy the forged signature.

ASK IF HE WILL TAKE A LIE DETECTOR TEST

You may ask if the suspect would be prepared to take a lie detector test (Table 7.28).

Table 7.28 Most likely reactions to a possible lie detector test

Reactions indicating innocence Reactions indicating guilt
Will normally agree, but then prevaricate
May not agree
Will agree and will go

If he agrees, ask if it can be done later the same day (Table 7.29):

Table 7.29 Most likely reactions to an imminent lie detector test

Reactions indicating innocence Reactions indicating guilt

Will usually think and make a reasonable effort Without thinking, will find a reason why the test

to get the matter cleared up cannot take place (i.e. a typical ‘stalling’ routine)

ASK WHY THE PROBLEM OCCURRED

Ask the subject whether he believes the losses are the result of deliberate and premeditated
theft (Table 7.30).

Table 7.30 Most likely reactions to being asked if the act was probably premeditated

Reactions indicating innocence Reactions indicating guilt
Possibly ‘yes’ or ‘I don’t know’ Probably ‘no’

SENSORY AND REVERSE QUESTIONS

These questions are useful in jogging a person’s memory and for testing whether a reply is from
memory (probably true) or imagination (probably false). Sensory questions can also be used
to get a witness to examine his memory from an entirely different angle and access important
information through another ‘cue’.

For example, in a robbery, the witness might be asked:

Example : ‘If you had been standing outside the bank looking in through the window what
do you think you would have seen?’ or ‘Did the robber remind you of anyone you know?’ or
‘what smells did you notice?’