Introduction 

The questioning of suspects and witnesses is central to many counter fraud investigations and in the course of their duties, investigators will be called upon to conduct informal fact-finding interviews and formal interviews held under caution.

Several of the interviews will be under difficult conditions and they may have a third-party present such as a solicitor, a suspect’s representative, or an interpreter. The role of the counter fraud investigator is to obtain information from various sources, gather evidence and seek to establish the “reliable truth”. Effective communication is a key basic skill that all successful counter fraud investigators must possess.

The informal interview with the employer to obtain information about an employee will need a totally different approach to the formal interview with the suspect, where the investigator has painstakingly collected evidence, and the end result may lead to a criminal prosecution.

Investigative interviewing techniques have developed over time and are the subject of a wealth of academic research, an example of some of the latest being:

What is investigative interviewing (and what is it not)

‘We define investigative interviewing as a practically applicable conversational approach to collect reliable and relevant information from suspects in a manner that encompasses actively open-minded thinking, evidence-based tactics and techniques and a legal and humane approach.’

© Lennart May, Ivar Fahsing, Christopher E. Kelly, Steven Barela, Rebecca Milne and Ray Bull. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. 2025

Students can learn how to carry out effective investigative interviews with PDA in a number of different ways. Investigative interviewing is included as part of our ACFS and ACFTech accredited learning.

We also offer two one day courses, Planning an Interview Under Caution and Witness Interviews and Statements. Both included as part of our CPD range of one day online learning courses.

In addition to the above, if you are a Counter Fraud Manager seeking some refresher investigative interview learning for your team then we can either deliver a bespoke package online or deliver F2F on your premises.

All of the above solutions are very interactive and include the opportunity for students to assess their learning through the completion of assessments and on conclusion, receive a certificate to evidence their Continuing Professional Development. All learning is delivered by our experienced and qualified Counter Fraud trainers who are subject matter experts in the field of investigative interviewing and provides students with the practical skills and knowledge to effectively carry out their role.

For further information about any of our investigative interviewing solutions please contact enquiries@pdacounterfraud.co.uk where we will be happy to help.