ABSTRACT
An interview is non-accusatory. An interrogation is accusatory. One of the first steps to complete during contract and procurement fraud, collusion, and corruption investigations is to interview whoever initially made the complaint or provided the information or tip. High-dollar, white-collar crime interviews can often last between 1 and 3 hours, or more. If a person plans on electronically recording interviews, he/she should follow all applicable laws. Supervisors, executives, corporate officers, and business partners may or may not know of the fraud. If they are not personally involved in the fraud, they will often assist in the investigation. It's also been pointed out that an interview should usually precede the interrogation. If a person recorded an interview, he/she will need to comply with their organization's policies and procedures for copying and securing such recordings as evidence. An investigator who conducts interviews should continue to train on a regular basis to improve his or her interviewing skills.
