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370 An HR Guide to Workplace Fraud and Criminal Behaviour

To achieve these objectives, it is essential that the anxiety of the guilty party is increased so
that he reveals himself and there are three ways of doing this.

METHOD 1: ELIMINATION CHECKLIST

Background and planning

You should obtain as much information as possible about the problem in question, and about
any similar incidents, develop a fraud theory and prepare single-sheet summaries of any ‘key
points’ which can be shown to the subjects at the appropriate time. You should also get as much
background as possible on each of the potential suspects along the lines of Appendix 1.

Preparing the checklist

Prepare a checklist on the lines of Table 9.6 below, tailored to the facts of the case con-
cerned.19

Reformat the table on to sheets of A4 paper and prepare a clean copy for each interview.

Table 9.6 Potential elimination questions and profiled answers

No. Nature of question or statement Indicative reaction

Indicative of responsibility Indicative of innocence
Little detail Detailed
Lack of commitment Committed
No volunteered Volunteered information
information

12 34

1 The opening statement Anxious Interested
Defensive body language Open body language
Appears threatened Relaxed

Do you know why I have asked to Will usually prevaricate and Will usually know; he
see you?
say ‘no’ admits there is a problem

Is there anything you want to ask Unlikely to ask a question or Asks a sensible question
me? asks one which is irrelevant

2 Did you do it? Prevarication A committed ‘no’

Not a clear binary answer

3 Have you discussed this case with Prevarication A committed ‘yes’ or ‘no’
your colleagues?

4 Have you had any contact Prevarication A committed ‘yes’ or ‘no’

with [names of people already

interviewed] since I spoke to them?

5 If so, what did they say? Prevarication Likely to provide detail
Unlikely to give detail

6 Do you think the [actual losses] are Prevarication or may May ask for clarification

deliberate and premeditated theft? minimize the seriousness of or a committed ‘yes’

the case

19 The checklist should jump from topic to topic as shown