FRI-CERT Sample Questions & Answers
Interview tactics for witnesses and suspects make up half the test, with the remaining half split evenly between building rapport to overcome reluctance and analyzing written statements for baseline shifts and syntax clues.
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- Question 1Intermediate
Overcoming Interviewee Reluctance (Getting Past No) · Transforming Excuses into Rapport Building
You are a fraud examiner investigating payroll anomalies at a healthcare organization. You approach the Payroll Supervisor for an initial interview.
The Supervisor immediately deflects, stating: "I am entirely too busy with month-end processing to talk right now. Besides, you should be talking to the HR Director; she sets the compensation rates, I just process them in the system."
Based on ACFE guidelines for overcoming reluctance, which of the following is the most effective reframing technique to turn this excuse into a rapport-building opportunity?
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Correct answer: B
This option effectively reframes the excuse. It actively listens and validates the subject's time constraint (month-end), minimizes the commitment (10 minutes), and strokes the subject's ego by highlighting their specific, irreplaceable expertise (processing vs. HR rates). This transforms resistance into cooperation. Option A relies on authority. Option C completely loses the interview opportunity. Option D is accusatory and destroys psychological safety.
- Question 2Beginner
Overcoming Interviewee Reluctance (Getting Past No) · I-Messages and the Consistency Principle
During an interview with a defensive IT administrator regarding unauthorized system access, the interviewer notices the subject is becoming uncooperative. The interviewer decides to use an "I" message to reduce defensiveness. Which of the following statements is an appropriately constructed "I" message?
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Correct answer: B
A proper "I" message focuses on the speaker's feelings, needs, or challenges rather than accusing the listener. Option B frames the issue as the interviewer's difficulty, reducing the subject's defensiveness while subtly stroking their ego. Option A uses "I" but is immediately followed by an accusation ("you are withholding"). Options C and D are direct "You" messages disguised as instructions.
- Question 3Intermediate
Overcoming Interviewee Reluctance (Getting Past No) · Emotional Labeling and Reluctance
True or False: When an interviewee exhibits reluctance by aggressively claiming ignorance about a fraud scheme, the most effective technique is to immediately present contradictory documentary evidence to force their cooperation.
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Correct answer: B
False. Presenting contradictory evidence immediately when a subject is reluctant or aggressive will likely increase their defensiveness and shut down communication. The best practice is to first address the reluctance through emotional labeling, active listening, and rapport building to create psychological safety before challenging their narrative with evidence.
- Question 4Beginner
Interviewing Witnesses and Suspects · Interview Fundamentals and Obstacles
Which of the following represents the primary distinction between an ordinary conversation and a formal fraud-related interview?
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Correct answer: A
According to the ACFE, an interview is a well-structured question-and-answer session designed to elicit information. It differs from an ordinary conversation in that it is structured and purposeful, rather than casual and free-form. Interviews are not exclusively for suspects, nor do they strictly require audio recording to be valid.
- Question 5Intermediate
Interviewing Witnesses and Suspects · Communication Dynamics
While interviewing a sensitive witness regarding a complex skimming scheme, the interviewer frequently looks at their watch, sighs audibly, and taps their pen on the desk. The witness gradually stops providing detailed answers and begins giving short, one-word responses. What communication dynamic is primarily occurring here?
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Correct answer: B
Looking at a watch, sighing, and tapping a pen are classic non-verbal inhibitors of communication. These behaviors signal impatience, boredom, or judgment, which causes the interviewee to shut down and provide less information. Active listening and baseline calibration are positive facilitators, not negative inhibitors.
- Question 6Advanced
Interviewing Witnesses and Suspects · Legal Considerations
During an internal investigation into inventory shrinkage, management suspects a unionized warehouse employee. Management calls the employee in for an investigatory interview. The employee reasonably believes the interview could lead to disciplinary action and explicitly requests the presence of a union representative. Under Weingarten rights, what are management's legally permissible options?
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Correct answer: A
Under NLRB v. J. Weingarten, Inc., when a union employee requests representation during an investigatory interview that may lead to discipline, management has three legal options: 1) Grant the request and delay questioning until the representative arrives, 2) Deny the request and end the interview immediately, or 3) Give the employee the choice of having the interview without representation or ending the interview. Continuing the interview after denying the request violates the employee's rights.
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