Examining the Mindset of a Fraudster: Psychological Aspects of the Investigative Interview
Martin Vaughn Executive Associate Forensic Interview Solutions Forensic Interview Solutions The Science of Interviewing
Psychology of Investigative Interviewing – Examining the Mindset of a Fraudster
Martin Vaughan MA, BA(Hons), Pg.Dip.,Cert Ed. PhD Candidate Forensic Interviewing
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What Is Psychology ?
Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour.
It examines how people think, how they act, react, and interact.
Human Development
Social Cognitive Behaviour Processes
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Psychological process
Think Act React Interact
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Fraud is a human endeavour, involving deception, purposeful intent, intensity of desire, risk of apprehension, violation of trust, rationalization, and so on. The rationale for drawing on behavioural science insights is evident from the intuition that one needs to
“Think like a crook to catch a crook.”
S. Ramamoorti and W. Olsen, “Fraud: The Human Factor,” Financial Executive (July–August 2007): 53–55.
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Understand the Mind
“The hands manipulate the sword, the mind manipulates the hands. Cultivate the mind and do not be deceived by tricks, feints and schemes. They are the properties of a magician, not of the samurai.”
Saito Yakuro (1798–1871)
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What you see isn’t what you get !
General Behaviour Characteristics
Immediate Environment and Global Environment
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When Psychopaths Go to Work
“There are some individuals in the business world who allow the responsibilities of leadership and the perks of power to override their moral sense.”
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Potential motives
Greed
Status
Revenge
Excitement
Parity with others
Loss of moral compass
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Beyond Greed: 10 clues to understanding a fraudster’s thinking:
1. Sense of entitlement 2. Excessive optimism 3. Rationalization 4. Peer or financial pressure 5. Instant gratification 6. Diffusion of harm 7. Lack of remorse 8. Inadequate fear of punishment 9. Egoism 10. Disregard for authority and rule
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Characteristics affecting behaviour of interviewee during interview
• Social Skills • Impulsivity
• Self-esteem • Guilt and remorse
• Coping ability • Hostility
• Attitudes and beliefs • Justification
• Needs • Minimisation
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Environmental factors that influence interview behaviour
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4 Basic Motivational Questions
1. Taking action. Is the action about a transaction or a relationship?
2. The role of play. Am I most interested in enjoying the journey or getting to the destination?
3. Who benefits? For whom am I doing it? Myself or another person?
4. Obedience. How do I feel about rules? Michael J. Apter, 2007
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Offence Characteristics
3 Questions:
1. What does the offender do that they have to do to commit the offence?
2. What does the offender do that they do not need to do?
3. In the context of the offence, what does the offender not do that he could have done?
Roberts, (2009)
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Killers Corporate Psychopath
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Vulnerability?
Children Learning Physical Alcohol Drug Mental Elderly under 18 disability disability abuse users health
No uniform definition in Suspect Interviews – Herrington & Roberts 2012
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Corporate Psychopaths as Organisational Destroyers
Robert Maxwell, Jeffrey Skilling, Fred Goodwin, billionaire property the convicted former the disgraced former owner, newspaper Enron Corp. chief boss of Royal Bank and book publisher executive officer of Scotland
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Most Psychopathic Least Psychopathic Professions Professions 1. CEO 1. Care worker 2. Lawyer 2. Nurse 3. Media (TV/radio) 3. Therapist 4. Salesperson 4. Craftsperson 5. Surgeon 5. Beautician/stylist 6. Journalist 6. Charity worker 7. Police officer 7. Teacher 8. Cleric 8. Creative artist 9. Chef 9. Doctor 10. Civil servant 10. Accountant Prof. Dutton 2012
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Quote
"I should have spent some time inside the stock exchange as well. Serial killer psychopaths ruin families. Corporate and political and religious psychopaths ruin economies. They ruin societies."
Professor Robert Hare (1999)
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Four Facets of PCL-R
Interpersonal
Affective
Lifestyle
Antisocial
Hare (1993)
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Psychopathic Personality Traits
Interpersonal Affective Lifestyle Antisocial Poor behavioural Superficial charm Remorselessness Impulsivity controls Stimulation Grandiosity Shallow affect Delinquency seeking Criminal Lying Callousness Irresponsible versatility Conning and Failure to accept Early behavioural Parasitic lifestyle manipulative responsibility problems Promiscuous Lack of realistic sexual behaviour goals
Herve & Yuille (2007)
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Psychopathic Personality Traits Present During an Interview Interpersonal Affective Lifestyle Antisocial Poor behavioural Superficial charm Remorselessness Impulsivity controls Stimulation Grandiosity Shallow affect Delinquency seeking Criminal Lying Callousness Irresponsible versatility Conning and Failure to accept Early behavioural Parasitic lifestyle manipulative responsibility problems Promiscuous Lack of realistic sexual behaviour goals Quayle (2008 p.81)
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Approach to Interviewing
One-size-fits-all approach to investigative interviewing does not work !
Milne and Griffiths, 2006
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Psychopathic Interviewee Behaviours
• Outwitting the interviewer • Enjoying being the focus of attention
• Arrogance and grandiosity • Ignoring or minimising the importance of discrepancies
• Attempting to shock the interviewer • Seeing through attempts to bluff
• Offering extremely convincing claims of innocence • Gauging levels of experience, credentials and confidence
• Disrupting the interview
Quayle (2008)
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Strategies to Counteract Behaviours
Case familiarity Seek liking
Convey experience and Seek learning confidence
Create atmosphere of Maintain control authority and formality
Don’t worry about rapport Avoid criticism
Avoid emotion Challenge cautiously
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Summary
. All interviews should be thoroughly planned.
. Research both victim and offender.
. Understand the psychology of interviewing.
. Every interview is different.
. Every Strategy is Unique.
. Make sure you are match fit !
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Conclusion
“The time spent assessing an individual prior to interview, considering their lifestyle and behavioural characteristics – no matter how limited the time or information available – is likely to pay high dividends in the interview as it allows for the design of strategies that will maximise the information during any interview and minimise the risk of unwanted outcomes”
Roberts (2009)
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The World may be changing but Psychopathy remains the same.
Professor Tony Madden (2015)
Thank You.
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Bibliography
Boddy, C.R.P., Ladyshewsky, R. & Galvin, P. (2010). Leaders without ethics in global business: corporate psychopaths. Journal of Public Affairs, 121-138. Cleckley, H. (1976). The mast of sanity (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby. Fox, A.R., Kvaran, T.H. & Fontaine, R.G. (2012 ). Psychopathy and Culability: How Responsible is the Psychopath for Criminal Wrongdoing? Law & Social Inquiry, 1-26. Hancock, T.J., Woodworth, M.T. & Porter, S. (2011). Hungry like the wolf: A word-pattern analysis of the language of the psychopaths. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 1-13. Hare, R. (1993). Without conscience; the disturbing world of the psychopaths among us. New York: The Guilford Press Inc. NPIA. (2009). National Investigative Interviewing Strategy - Briefing Paper. Wyboston, Bedfordshire: NPIA. Pakes, P. & Winstone, J. (2007). Psychology and Crime. Cullompton: Willan. Perri, F.S. (2011). The Flawed Interview of a Psychopathic Killer: What Went Wrong. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 41-57. Quayle, J. (2008). Interviewing a Psychopathic Suspect. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 79-91. Spidel, A., Herve, H., Greaves, C. & Yuille, J.C. (2011). "Wasn't me!" A field study of the relationship between deceptive motivations and psychopathic traits in young offenders. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 335- 347.
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Steve Rothlein, “Noble Cause Corruption,” Public Agency Training Council , 2008, http://www.patc.com/weeklyarticles/print/noble‐cause‐corruption.pdf. An interesting aspect of “noble cause corruption”—done for love of country, office, or position—is that the individuals engaging in such activity may not be “bad apples” but may in fact be “golden apples,” or the best officers of a government agency, for instance.
Social comparison theory asserts that people evaluate their own abilities and opinions by comparing themselves to others; other people help us to define ourselves. See L. Festinger, “A Theory of Social Comparison Processes,” Human Relations 7 (1954): 117–40; and C. H. Cooley, Human Nature and the Social Order (New York: Schocken Books, 1902). For the catch‐me‐if‐you‐can‐game, see F. W. Abagnale, Catch Me If You Can: The Amazing True Story of the Youngest and Most Daring Con Man in the History of Fun and Profit (New York: Broadway Books, 2000).
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Martin Vaughan PhD Candidate MA, BA(Hons), Pg.Dip.,Cert. Ed., Executive Associate UK Forensic Interview Solutions www.fis-international.com [email protected] +44 20 3287 4205
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Martin Vaughn Executive Associate Forensic Interview Solutions