Investigative Interview Techniques – official ACFE (CPE) course
Interviews are a vital part of many fraud examinations. Your ability to obtain information during an interview can often make or break a case. In this 2-day ACFE (CPE) course you will learn the techniques for interviewing suspects, witnesses and victims.
The top course Investigative Interview Techniques will provide you with 16 CPE credits (including 2 ethics credits) for your Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) recertification!
Investigative Interview Techniques – mode of study
Option 1: 2-day public course (in-class and live online)
Option 2: in-house course (in-class and live online)
Also see the 2-day ACFE (CPE) courses:
- Fraud Risk Management
- Conducting Internal Investigations
- Contract & Procurement Fraud
- Bribery & Corruption
IMF Academy is an ACFE Authorized Training Organization (ATO)
IMF Academy is an ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) Authorized Training Organization and the exclusive provider of
CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner) and ACFE (CPE) courses in the BeNeLux.
Expert techniques for interviewing suspects of fraud
Interviews are a vital part of many fraud examinations. Your ability to obtain information or admissions during an interview can often make or break a case. This interactive course on investigative interview techniques will teach you how to be more effective in asking direct and follow-up questions, while evaluating verbal and non-verbal responses to uncover the truth during interviews.
By learning the fundamental interviewing techniques, presented by our expert instructors, you will learn how to get better information from suspects, witnesses and victims to enhance any investigation or examination. All anti-fraud professionals, auditors, law enforcement officers, and human resources professionals can benefit from this course!
What will you learn in this top course on investigative interview techniques?
In this 2-day ACFE (CPE) course, you will learn to/about:
- Plan and schedule interviews
- Identify different types of interview questions for individual personality styles
- Obtain confessions and signed statements
- Effectively prepare for an interview
- The fraudster's mindset
- Interview goals and strategies
- Questioning for quality information
- The various verbal and non-verbal clues to deception
- Interview suspects
- Interview witnesses and victims
- Comply with legal issues that affect interviews
- Detect deception and create strategies to gain quality information
- Define the aspects of an admission-seeking interview
Who should attend?
This 2-day course about Investigative Interview Techniques is meant for Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs) and other anti-fraud professionals, internal and external auditors, CPAs, CAs and forensic accountants, law enforcement officers, attorneys and legal professionals, controllers and corporate managers, GRC managers, loss prevention and security professionals, human resources professionals, privacy officers, and all other professionals interested in expert techniques for interviewing suspects of fraud.
Prerequisites
There are no specific prerequisites for attending this official ACFE (CPE) course.
Educational level of the course
The course Investigative Interview Techniques will be held on a higher educational level.
Maintaining your Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credential - CPE requirements
To maintain your CFE credential, you are required to earn at least 20 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) every 12-month period. Al least 10 of these hours must directly relate to the detection and deterrence of fraud and 2 hours must directly relate to ethics. If you have earned more than 20 hours of CPE in your previous reporting period, you may rollover up to 10 hours to meet your current CPE requirements.
With the official ACFE course Investigative Interview Techniques, you will earn 16 CPE credits (including 2 ethics credits) for your CFE recertification.
About the ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners)
ACFE is the world's largest anti-fraud organization and the premier provider of anti-fraud trainings and education. Together with more than 90.000 members in 160 countries and chapters in 125 countries, ACFE is reducing business fraud worldwide and inspiring public confidence in the integrity and objectivity within the profession.
Also of interest!
All our courses are delivered in-class, unless otherwise stated. Below is a selection of courses that may also be of interest to you:
In-company
With at least 5 participants an in-house training could be your best option. An in-company training, customized to the needs of your organization, has many advantages and:
- saves you and your colleagues time
- enables you to train in the comfort of your own working environment
- saves travel and accommodation expenses
- can be arranged at a time convenient for you
- sensitive issues can be discussed openly since no outsiders are present
Do you prefer an in-company training? Please call us at +31 (0) 40 246 02 20 or send an e-mail to info@imfacademy.com for more information. We are more than happy to discuss the various possibilities with you!
We have organized in-company trainings all around the globe, among others in the following countries: Aruba, Azerbaijan, Curaçao, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Luxembourg, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Suriname, Switzerland, Türkiye, Uganda.
Content
Professional Interviewing Skills – course outline
DAY I
Preparing for the Interview
- How to effectively prepare for an interview: from determining the most appropriate time in an investigation to interviewing a specific party to identify your own strengths and weaknesses and how they affect the interview process
The legal elements of interviewing / the fraudster's mindset
- The legal authority to conduct interviews
- The employee's rights and duties in an investigation
- Tort actions arising from interviews
- Thinking patterns that are common among fraudsters, which will aid in developing interview themes and questions
Interview goals and strategies
- The elements of a successful interview
- Define the interview goal
- Identify the skills needed to execute an effective interview
- Develop an appropriate interview strategy
Questioning for quality information
- The variety of methods for formulating questions that will assist you in dealing with any type of witness you may encounter
- Analyze the information provided by the witness to assist you in formulating questions that will ensure you to obtain the best information possible from the interviewee
- The proper methods to use when confronting a reluctant witness
Is that the truth?
- The various verbal and non-verbal clues to deception, including:
- Changes in speech patterns
- Selective memories
- Oaths and character testimony
- Anatomical physical responses
- Other indications
DAY II
Interviewing witnesses and victims / I
- Interviews with witnesses and victims
- Listening skills and accommodations that interviewers must navigate in these interviews, including the adaptations and considerations that remote interviews require
Interviewing witnesses and victims / II
- The application of strategies such as:
- Cognitive interviewing
- The PEACE framework to obtain valuable information from witnesses and victims
Interviewing suspects / I
- All aspects of admission-seeking interviews
- prepare the interview room for effective communication
- the best methods for confronting the suspect
Interviewing suspects / II
- How to ask admission-seeking questions
- Follow-ups based on the responses to your questioning
Admissions and signed statements
- How to obtain admissions from even the most reluctant suspects?
- How should an effective statement be written?
Certificate
All participants will receive a Personal Certificate. Individuals holding the Certified Fraud Examiner 
(CFE) title may claim 16 CPE credits including 2 ethics credits to maintain their certification.
Trainer(s)
The Professional Interviewing Skills training is facilitated by an ACFE authorized trainer. Your trainer is:
Robert Lamers CFE
Robert Lamers is an anti-fraud and crisis management specialist and the managing director of Rolam Consultancy. He served as a senior corporate anti-fraud officer with NN Group and ING Insurance for many years. Robert was also Head of European Partnership Development at the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).
Robert is chief trainer of our CFE exam training and the official ACFE CPE trainings Fraud Risk Management; Conducting Internal Investigations; Contract and Procurement Fraud; Bribery and corruption; and Investigative Interview Techniques.
Start date(s)
The course Professional Interviewing Skills lasts for 2 days. Each day starts at 09.30 hrs and ends around 17.00 hrs. The course will take place in Amsterdam (or surroundings), in-class and live online, up to your choice, on the following dates:
- 4 + 5 June 2026
- 29 + 30 October 2026
Due to the interactive nature of this training, it can only be conducted with a minimum of eight participants.
Fee / Registration
The fee of the 2-day official ACFE (CPE) training Professional Interviewing Skills is
€ 2,180 (VAT excl.) per person. The fee includes all lunches, coffee/tea, the official ACFE documentation and 16 CPE credits (of which 2 ethics credits) for maintaining your CFE certification (if applicable).