Investigations/Fraud Titles
Delve into the psychology of fraud investigation, from advanced critical thinking and skepticism to communication, leadership, data analysis, and ethics, all specifically designed for investigators. Dr. Groves’ sessions are among the most unique and insightful events you will witness, combining groundbreaking research with an unvarnished, practical approach to addressing the challenges investigators face. Known as one of the most popular speakers in the industry, Dr. Groves integrates profound insights from psychological science with advanced thinking principles, equipping investigators with expert tools for uncovering deception, solving complex cases, and making high-stakes decisions with precision.
By focusing on interpreting subtle cues, recognizing patterns, and applying strategic thinking, investigators enhance their ability to assess risk, analyze motivations, and navigate the ethical dilemmas inherent in fraud cases.
Ready to experience a truly transformative event for your team? Submit a speaking inquiry today.
What attendees are saying...
What event organizers are saying...
How These Sessions Are Different
My sessions are dynamic, interactive journeys designed to challenge and expand the way investigators think and work. With a foundation in psychology, my expertise bridges forensic psychology, forensic accounting, and the cognitive sciences to deliver content that truly resonates with investigators.
Research-Backed, Results-Driven Presentations
At the core of my sessions is a pioneering scientific study on expert auditor thinking that relates to investigations, an endeavor that has expanded into a dynamic repository of investigator thinking patterns. This ongoing research fuels my interactive presentations, making them not only captivating but also profoundly educational and impactful.
Beyond Technical Knowledge: A Focus on Cognitive Excellence
My philosophy centers on a simple yet profound truth: the value of an investigator’s technical knowledge is magnified by their ability to think critically and apply that knowledge effectively. My sessions are crafted to enhance this aspect, equipping investigators with the tools to become more efficient, insightful, and impactful in their roles.
Topics Tailored Especially for Investigators
From the psychology of critical thinking in investigations to effective communication strategies, ethics, and leveraging data science, my presentations cover a wide range of topics crucial for today’s investigators and auditors. Each session is tailored to address the most pressing issues and trends in the investigation world, ensuring your team remains at the forefront of the industry.
For pricing and availability, submit a speaking inquiry here
Fraud
The New Psychology of Fraud*
*You’ll never think about fraud the same way again
"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing."
This transformative session takes audiences deep into the untold details behind fraud—from the unique vantage point of someone who has seen fraud through the lens of a researcher and both sides of investigations. Through gripping, firsthand narratives intertwined with groundbreaking psychological research, this talk challenges everything you think you know about fraud. Conventional investigative techniques often fail because they overlook the most crucial element: the human mind. This session exposes hidden pitfalls in traditional approaches, including how investigative practices can unintentionally empower sophisticated fraud schemes.
As we dismantle the myths surrounding fraud, we’ll uncover how assumptions, biases, and misplaced skepticism can lead even the most ethical individuals astray. With shocking revelations and eye-opening insights, this session invites you to rethink not only fraud but also the systems and beliefs that shape our investigations. It’s a journey that will forever change how you view integrity, ethics, and decision-making under pressure.
Major Subjects:
The Human Element of Fraud: Why Good People Make Bad Decisions
- Explore the psychological drivers that lead ethical individuals into unethical actions and learn how cognitive biases and environmental pressures create the perfect storm for fraud.
The Hidden Costs of Conventional Skepticism
- Discover how well-intentioned investigative skepticism can backfire, creating blind spots that fraudsters exploit and leading investigators to miss critical cues.
Unmasking Myths: The Real Story Behind Fraud Investigations
- Dispel entrenched myths about fraud perpetrators and investigators, and uncover how systemic flaws in the process can derail justice and truth.
Rewriting the Playbook: A New Approach to Fraud Detection
- Learn advanced, psychology-driven techniques that enhance investigative accuracy, minimize bias, and improve outcomes in detecting and preventing fraud.
Fraud
Fraud in Plain Sight
How We Miss and Unknowingly Assist Schemes
"What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know. It’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so."
Why do fraud schemes so often go undetected, even when the evidence is right in front of us? This session dives deep into the psychology of investigation and auditing, from the perspective of someone who has been on both sides of fraud investigations, revealing how the very ways we are trained to think can obscure fraud rather than expose it. By exploring the traps of over-reliance on tools, misplaced trust, and the pitfalls of narrowed focus, participants will gain a fresh perspective on what it takes to uncover deception.
Through engaging discussions, real-world examples, and an eye-opening simulation, this program offers an innovative approach led by a fraud researcher who has been on both sides of fraud investigations. Attendees will leave with a deeper awareness of how fraud hides in plain sight and actionable methods to uncover what others miss.
Major Subjects:
- The Trust Trap:
Explore how assumptions about trustworthiness and credibility misdirect investigations and allow fraud to flourish undetected. - Blind Spots in Thinking:
Understand the psychological and cognitive limitations that cause investigators to overlook critical clues hiding in plain sight. - Lost in the Evidence:
Examine how over-reliance on tools and data can obscure intuition and deeper analysis, leading to missed opportunities to uncover fraud. - Chasing Shadows:
Discover how focusing on the wrong targets or patterns diverts attention from the real perpetrators and evidence. - The Double-Edged Sword of Tools:
Investigate how the tools and technologies used in audits and investigations, while powerful, can inadvertently narrow focus and obscure critical insights.
Auditing/Critical Thinking
Thinking Outside the Audit
Innovative Approaches and Uncovering Hidden Risks
"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."
The highly structured world of auditing provides essential frameworks for accuracy and accountability, but it can also narrow our focus and lead to black-and-white thinking. This session challenges auditors to expand their perspective by understanding the neuropsychology behind creative problem-solving. By exploring how deeply ingrained structures influence our thinking, participants will learn to recognize and overcome mental blocks, enabling them to uncover counterintuitive solutions to complex problems.
Through engaging discussions, practical exercises, and cutting-edge research, this program introduces strategies for broadening cognitive flexibility and identifying risks that traditional methods might miss. Participants will leave with actionable tools to respect the structure of audits while thinking beyond its boundaries, driving deeper insights and strengthening organizational resilience.
Major Subjects:
- Breaking Out of Cognitive Traps: Explore how structured environments can limit perspectives and obscure unconventional solutions.
- Expanding the Auditor’s Mindset: Learn techniques to think creatively and approach problems from fresh angles.
- Neuropsychology of Problem-Solving: Discover how cognitive flexibility and counterintuitive thinking lead to innovative risk identification.
- Identifying Hidden Risks: Develop strategies to spot anomalies and patterns that traditional methods might overlook.
- Balancing Structure and Innovation: Respect the frameworks of auditing while fostering a mindset that looks beyond the checklist.
- Leveraging Technology and Collaboration: Explore how new tools and cross-functional teamwork can enhance risk detection.
Fraud Investigation-Critical Thinking
Untapped 2025: Unlocking Better Thinking for Fraud Investigators
"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."
This highly acclaimed session, tailored specifically for fraud investigators and led by Dr. Toby Groves, delves into the psychological science behind effective investigative practices. Practical and inspirational, the session equips investigators with powerful tools to elevate their thinking during critical moments. Participants are introduced to innovative strategies, habits, and advanced techniques that significantly improve judgment and decision-making in high-stakes scenarios.
The session emphasizes cultivating core cognitive abilities that enable investigators to uncover insights others may overlook. Attendees will learn how to dismantle mental barriers and tackle challenges from fresh perspectives. These strategies also foster confidence, mental clarity, flexibility, and resilience, enhancing well-being and mitigating stress and burnout.
Additionally, the session critically examines investigative practices in light of emerging issues such as artificial intelligence, regulatory shifts, evolving fraud schemes, digital forensics, data analytics, cybersecurity, and organizational dynamics. Investigators will gain the foresight and adaptability necessary to excel in a rapidly evolving landscape, ensuring they are prepared to detect and prevent fraud effectively.
Major Subjects:
Foundational Cognitive Abilities for Exceptional Fraud Investigation
Explore the critical thinking and judgment skills that set outstanding investigators apart. Learn to develop cognitive flexibility, clarity, and insight to uncover what others miss and strengthen investigative practices.
Advanced Thinking Strategies to Enhance Investigative Judgment
Master innovative strategies to overcome cognitive barriers, analyze problems from fresh perspectives, and make superior decisions in high-stakes fraud investigations.
The Intersection of Mental Well-being and Investigative Excellence
Discover how confidence, resilience, and mental clarity enhance investigative performance while simultaneously reducing stress, combating burnout, and promoting overall well-being.
Preparing for the Future of Fraud Investigation: Emerging Challenges and Opportunities
Gain actionable insights to navigate evolving investigative challenges, including artificial intelligence, regulatory changes, sophisticated fraud schemes, digital forensics, data analytics, and cybersecurity.
Investigator’s Toolkit for Perceiving the Unseen
Equip yourself with tools and strategies to uncover hidden schemes, adapt to rapid changes in fraud tactics, and elevate the impact and innovation of your investigations.
Auditing-Critical Thinking
The New Psychology of Professional Skepticism
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it"
Discover how to elevate your professional judgment in an increasingly complex data-driven world. In this groundbreaking session, Dr. Groves unveils a transformative approach to skepticism—one designed to go beyond outdated methods and meet the demands of today’s challenges. Through captivating demonstrations and hands-on exercises, you’ll uncover the unseen forces that shape decision-making and learn to adapt your judgment to fit diverse situations, organizational cultures, and ever-changing contexts. This session will empower you to spot hidden assumptions, fine-tune your thinking to dynamic environments, and apply skepticism in ways you never thought possible. Prepare to see professional skepticism in a whole new light.
Finding Fraud is a rare look at fraud from the inside, including the perspectives of auditors that unwittingly helped perpetrators, and Investigators that found themselves on the wrong side of the law. We’ll examine the viewpoints of the victims, forensic psychologists, interrogation experts, perpetrators, fraud researchers, and law enforcement. The session confronts the most persistent challenges we have with fighting fraud today. It presents behind-the-scenes research from multiple perspectives that will challenge everything you thought you knew about fraud.
We have more data than ever, but what is it really telling us? New technologies and analytical methods detect myriad patterns in our data, but what do they really mean and what decisions can they help us make? Is the underlying data reliable? Is it valid for the purpose you are using it? Cognitive technologies distance us from the context of our data, shrouding the meaning behind the patterns and how to apply the information for effective decision-making. New thinking approaches are required to move beyond simple recognition of correlations to insight into why relationships exist. This session will teach methods that give us the ability to discern the inner character of problems, to recognize why interactions occur, and what decisions can be made with the information.
When the Facts Aren’t Enough: The Art of Communicating Complex Information
Mastering the art of translating complex information into influential insights is a skill that transcends mere data analysis—it’s about crafting narratives that resonate and motivate. Our session, ‘When the Facts Aren’t Enough,’ focuses on the nuanced art of making intricate data accessible and compelling, even to those unfamiliar with the subject matter. This expertise signifies not just an in-depth comprehension of the data but a profound insight into its real-world implications and how it’s perceived by diverse audiences. By adopting the perspectives of your listeners and embodying their experiences, this interactive workshop delves into the cognitive strategies and thinking paradigms essential for clear, impactful communication. Participants will emerge with enhanced abilities to convey their knowledge persuasively, ensuring their messages are not just heard but felt and acted upon
Ethics in The Real World
Codes of ethics, ethics training, and “tone at the top” are expected to improve ethical behavior. But do they? Research shows that not only can these traditional initiatives be unhelpful, but they can harm ethical reasoning! Instead of looking at how people are “supposed” to behave, this class examines how people actually make ethical decisions in the real world. We will explain how ethics codes can cause unethical behavior, why we misunderstand the influence of tone at the top, and why people betray their own ethical beliefs.
Advanced Communication Skills for Investigators
Master the nuances of advanced communication in the auditing sphere with this comprehensive course. Delve into the intricacies of both written and verbal communication across in-person and virtual platforms. Develop the skills to present complex audit-related information compellingly and employ storytelling techniques to motivate change. Gain expertise in sophisticated persuasion and negotiation strategies to influence outcomes effectively. Learn the fine art of navigating difficult discussions with tact and learn how to probe deeply with questions that unveil the true intent behind the responses. Acquire techniques to establish immediate trust and adapt your communication style to various cultural contexts. For auditors who aspire to elevate their influence and impact, this course is an essential step towards becoming a formidable communicator.
Unearthing vital information, demystifying assumptions, and revealing the intricacies of actions are the hallmarks of masterful interviews. These interactions provide a unique chance to navigate through narratives as they emerge and to pose impactful questions that extract critical insights. Mastering the interview extends beyond mere conversation—it is a strategic tool for investigation, understanding, and essential information gathering. In this session, you’ll learn the subtleties of adopting an effective interpersonal style, formulating incisive questions that go beyond surface answers, interpreting non-verbal communication, and adjusting your approach to suit various cultural contexts. Participants will depart equipped with the most current behavioral research tools to conduct audit interviews that deliver results.