| Course | ACC 425 Interview Techniques/Legal Aspects Fraud |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 6 |
| Paper type | undergraduate discussion post on interviewing ethics, false confessions and employee rights |
| Length | About 380 words, 3 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Southern New Hampshire University |
| Program | BS Accounting |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for ACC 425 Module 6
Module Six Discussion
Should We Tell Him the Broker Confessed?
At our planning meeting for the final interview in the produce kickback case, a colleague suggested that when the buyer denies everything, we tell him the broker has already admitted the payments. The broker has not, and we have no contact with him. "It works on TV," he said. "And he's guilty anyway." I think it is a bad idea, and not only because it would be untrue.
Deception about evidence is a classic interrogation tactic, and in some settings it is legally tolerated. But a private investigation is judged later by arbitrators, courts and sometimes juries, and a statement obtained after a lie about evidence invites the argument that it was produced by pressure rather than memory. The bigger problem is reliability. Kassin and Gudjonsson (2004) review evidence that presenting false evidence is among the tactics most associated with false confessions, because it can convince a person that denial is hopeless. Meissner et al. (2012), in a systematic review, found that information-gathering approaches reduced false confessions while preserving true ones, whereas accusatorial approaches increased both.
Our buyer may be guilty. The evidence is strong. That is exactly why we do not need the lie. We can show him the real price comparisons and the payment schedule to his brother-in-law's company and ask him to explain them. We can offer him a face-saving explanation, for example that the arrangement may have started as a favor to family and grown, without misrepresenting any fact or promising leniency we cannot give. That kind of theme helps an honest admission; a fabricated confession by the broker invites a false or tailored one.
There is also a rights question for the other interviews. The buyer is a salaried manager, but one warehouse lead we plan to interview is in the union. Should he fear the meeting could end in discipline and ask to bring a steward, we must allow one or stop, under the Supreme Court's long-standing rule for unionized workplaces (NLRB v. J. Weingarten, Inc., 1975). Planning for that now avoids a defect later.
For classmates: is offering the buyer a sympathetic explanation of why he might have done it ethically different from lying about the broker's confession, and if so, where exactly is the difference?
References
Kassin, S. M., & Gudjonsson, G. H. (2004). The psychology of confessions: A review of the literature and issues. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 5(2), 33-67. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1529-1006.2004.00016.x
Meissner, C. A., Redlich, A. D., Bhatt, S., & Brandon, S. (2012). Interview and interrogation methods and their effects on true and false confessions. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 8(1), 1-53. https://doi.org/10.4073/csr.2012.13
NLRB v. J. Weingarten, Inc., 420 U.S. 251 (1975).
What the ACC 425 Module 6 instructions ask for
The Module Six discussion in ACC 425 usually asks about ethical and legal limits in fraud interviews: deception, coercion, promises of leniency, false confessions and employee rights such as union representation or, for public employees, protections against compelled self-incrimination. Expect a few sourced paragraphs and replies, and be ready to defend your position against classmates who see the line differently. Strong posts take a specific technique proposed in a case and evaluate it against research and professional guidance rather than intuition, explain what could go wrong in a later legal proceeding and propose a better approach. Many prompts also distinguish private from public employers. Asking classmates to place a specific technique on one side of the line produces a sharper exchange.
How this ACC 425 Module 6 discussion example is built
In the post, a colleague suggests telling the produce buyer that the broker has confessed, to prompt an admission. The post explains that while some lying about evidence is legally tolerated in police interrogation, it raises the risk of false or unreliable statements and could undermine the company's case and its standing with an arbitrator. It cites Kassin and Gudjonsson on how false evidence ploys contribute to false confessions and Meissner and colleagues' review finding that information-gathering methods reduce false confessions while keeping true ones. It suggests presenting real evidence instead and notes that union warehouse witnesses may request a representative. Classmates are asked where they draw the line.
Where the ACC 425 Module 6 rubric puts the points
In the ACC 425 interviewing ethics discussion, the marks follow a clear evaluation of the proposed technique, use of research on confessions and interviewing, attention to legal rights and later use of the statement, and a constructive alternative. Top posts distinguish rationalization themes, which help a person admit what happened, from false statements about evidence or promises the interviewer cannot keep. Posts that argue anything goes because the suspect is guilty, or that reject all persuasion, score lower. Replies that test a classmate's line with a specific phrasing or scenario earn participation credit. Citing research beyond the textbook usually distinguishes strong posts, as does a concrete alternative the interviewer could actually use in the room.
ACC 425 Module 6 help: the mistakes that cost points
Posts on interviewing ethics most often go wrong by treating legality as the only test, by assuming a guilty person cannot give a false or unreliable statement, or by ignoring how a statement obtained through deception will look to an arbitrator, jury or regulator. Another gap is overlooking rights that differ by setting, such as union representation for private sector workers or protections for public employees. If your prompt concerns a public employer or a law enforcement interview, the legal framework changes and the post can be adapted to it. Offer at least one concrete alternative phrasing, because the practical question is always what to say instead, and the answer should still work when the subject keeps denying.
Get ACC 425 Module 6 written to your instructions
Pass along the ACC 425 Module 6 prompt and its scenario; the post will weigh the technique against research and professional standards, address legal rights that apply and offer a practical alternative, ending with a question for classmates. There is no fee for a first request, which usually takes two days. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Southern New Hampshire University document.
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ACC 425 Module 6 questions, answered
Where can I find a free ACC 425 Module 6 Discussion sample?
This page includes the full ACC 425 Module 6 post on whether to bluff about evidence in a fraud interview and on false confessions.
Can a fraud interviewer lie about evidence?
Private interviewers are not bound by all the rules that govern police, but lying about evidence raises the risk of unreliable statements and can undermine their later use. Most professional guidance discourages it.
Do false confessions happen in workplace investigations?
Research shows false confessions occur under pressure, especially with false evidence ploys and promises of leniency, and workplace settings are not immune.
What is an information-gathering interview?
An approach that builds rapport, invites a full account and tests it against evidence, rather than relying on accusation and pressure. Research links it to more reliable statements.
What are Weingarten rights?
The right of a union-represented private sector employee to request a union representative at an investigatory interview the employee reasonably believes may lead to discipline.