I am often asked how a former Human Intelligence (HUMINT) investigator can help me become the business leader I want to be in a field that has nothing to do with investigating the criminal activities of terrorists.

Most of my clients work in human resources, employee relations, sales and finance related investigations. They are entrepreneurs and business owners, C-Suite executives, coaches and auditors. I left the world of interrogation a long time ago and still use my HUMINT skills to lead challenging conversations with confidence and authority to accurately identify deception and go after the truth. In the past two decades of interviewing, I can accurately say that liars exhibit the same thing fraudulent behavior.

Here are five deceptive behaviors to watch out for and how to deal with those behaviors when you encounter them.

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1. Inability to answer yes or no

The easiest test to give someone you trust is holding the truth is to ask a yes/no question, such as, “Are you being honest with me?” The reason is that truth tellers usually answer a closed question quickly and briefly with a yes or no answer, while liars tend to avoid their answer.

For example, in the post-trial interview with OJ Simpson in 2016, the reporter asked OJ, “Have you ever had any (Bruno Magli shoes)?” OJ paused, took a deep breath, and shrugged as he said, “First of all, I would never have worn those ugly shoes.“He never answered the question. If he was honest, he should have answered 'no.'

Liars tend to overestimate a yes or no answer because they don't believe it is convincing enough. As a result, they will usually say “absolutely, always” for yes and “I never” for no. Ask a closed question and then listen to the answer. Is it real or a hoax?

2. The pronouns “I” and “my” are missing.

Pronouns play a big role in detecting fraud. The possessive pronouns “I” and “my” show that a person is taking ownership of what they say. Typically, liars will replace those two pronouns with other pronouns like “you,” “we,” or “they,” or avoid them altogether when they don't want to take ownership of knowledge or information.

For example, if you ask an employee who allegedly engaged in an ethics violation, “What happened?” and they respond with, “We're trying to figure out what happened.” They could avoid responsibility because they didn't say, “I am trying to figure out what happened.” Remember Anthony Weiner? When he lied, he said, “We're trying to figure out who sent the tweet from my account.” He takes responsibility for his account, but NO to trying to figure out who sent the tweet because they know they sent it. A great way to address this behavior is to ask, “You and who are you trying to figure this out?”

3. Inconsistency of behavior

Behavioral inconsistency is the most accurate indicator of cheating. This happens when our body language contradicts our spoken language. When we are honest, our words, voice, emotions, facial expressions and gestures are naturally in sync; when we lie, they are inconsistent. Two great examples of behavioral inconsistency that are easy to identify include shrugging and nodding and nodding.

We will shrug in uncertainty when we doubt what we are saying. If someone says, “I know exactly what happened,” and shrug, you have a problem. They are doubting what they say – and so are you.

In most cultures, a nod means “yes” and a nod means “no.” If someone says, “I like your idea“, but shake your head to the side, they might not like it. When you see inappropriate behavior in someone, don't believe them. Instead, ask them, “Why should I trust you?” A real person will usually say, “Because I'm telling you the truth.” Any other answer should be suspect.

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4. Smoke screen

A smoke screen is a ruse to disguise one's true intentions or actions. People will try avoid answering a question diverting the conversation so you focus on their deception rather than what actually happened.

Here's an example: Drew Peterson, an ex-cop now in prison for murdering his third wife while his fourth wife is still missing, said during an interview with Larry King that his marriage to his wife his fourth was having a hard time because she was being treated for depression after her sister died. This is a great disguise to blame their marital problems. He also claimed that she had run off with another boy. Another cover up to get him out of the investigation.

When you ask them questions find out the truth, if a liar doesn't want you to know the truth, he may try to disguise it and use a smokescreen to draw your attention elsewhere. If you notice someone using a smokescreen, redirect the conversation to the topic at hand!

5. How liars sound (picture, rhythm, breathing)

To detect lies, you need to focus on the words people say and how they sound. When most people lie, they become nervous and their vocal cords may tighten, raising their voice. They will also unconsciously change the pace of their speech. Liars may try to speak faster to avoid being questioned, while others slow down because they are trying to think of what to say. They may be so worried that their cognitive abilities are declining that they will speak more slowly. However, in the last 20 years of listening to liars, I will say with certainty that their speaking rate will change when they lie.

Finally, when someone is lying to you, they may start breathing heavily and you will hear them breathing. Basically, they are short of breath because their heart rate has increased due to flight or fight. So when you hear a change in the way someone sounds, investigate it! Ask questions about that specific topic to find out the truth.

These five behaviors are very accurate when deciphering between truth and deception. Reading about them has heightened your awareness of them, so the next time you feel someone is being dishonest, ask yourself if they demonstrated one of these five deceptive behaviors.

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