Passing CIA/FBI/DEA polygraphs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never understood the “don’t lie” assertion.

Let’s say you smoked pot a handful of times with only 1-2 people who you know seem equally wholesome as you. Assuming the investigation even uncovers these particular people and talks to them, what if you know there is no way in hell that they’d say you ever smoked pot (or that they do either)?

If you did it with a sibling, for instance, or your spouse or best friend, or even just a friend, and you know none of them is going to admit to smoking with you.

If you don’t understand the principle “don’t lie,” then you shouldn’t have a clearance. Period.

All SSBIs involve “developed sources.” That means they find people you didn’t list as references and who might not be willing to keep your secrets. Think neighbor who filed noise complaints on you, coworker who didn’t like you, college roommate you fought with, and so on. There’s a decent chance one of these people will turn over something that will get you in trouble. If you told the truth, it might be “mitigable.” If you lied, it’s an instant disqualification for any clearance for at least five years, possibly for life (this can be a judgment call for the investigator or committee). Taking the risk is stupid.

Exactly. I posted earlier. The guys I was questioned about was not my friend. They just randomly picked me because I lived on their floor I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never understood the “don’t lie” assertion.

Let’s say you smoked pot a handful of times with only 1-2 people who you know seem equally wholesome as you. Assuming the investigation even uncovers these particular people and talks to them, what if you know there is no way in hell that they’d say you ever smoked pot (or that they do either)?

If you did it with a sibling, for instance, or your spouse or best friend, or even just a friend, and you know none of them is going to admit to smoking with you.

If you don’t understand the principle “don’t lie,” then you shouldn’t have a clearance. Period.

All SSBIs involve “developed sources.” That means they find people you didn’t list as references and who might not be willing to keep your secrets. Think neighbor who filed noise complaints on you, coworker who didn’t like you, college roommate you fought with, and so on. There’s a decent chance one of these people will turn over something that will get you in trouble. If you told the truth, it might be “mitigable.” If you lied, it’s an instant disqualification for any clearance for at least five years, possibly for life (this can be a judgment call for the investigator or committee). Taking the risk is stupid.

You sound like a typical uptight fed. "developed sources" WTF are you talking about? Listen, the whole thing is a game. I know well over a dozen people who lied their ass off on polygraphs and have now been working in fed and local law enforcement for many, many years. You wouldn't know that because you think that you catch everyone. You only catch the idiots who aren't savvy.

And you're the sort of idiot who ends up running into an 1001 indictment later in life...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The first thing they will ask is if you did any research in how to pass. Be honest and say you made this post. It’s not a big deal, everyone does some research. But now stop researching it, it’ll only make you nervous

LOL PP! Only an idiot would do that. Polygraphers want you to spill your guts, as that is how they get you to fail. Very few people have failed because their chart looked bad. But LOTS of people have failed because they caved under pressure from the polygrapher.

This is the stupidest thing I’ve read in a while. Are you a Russian troll?

OP should spill his guts because making a vague post on an anonymous forum is not incriminating. Admitting to it will not deny you a clearance. But lying about something this stupid, if it sets you off, will make it seem like you’re lying about serious things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The first thing they will ask is if you did any research in how to pass. Be honest and say you made this post. It’s not a big deal, everyone does some research. But now stop researching it, it’ll only make you nervous

LOL PP! Only an idiot would do that. Polygraphers want you to spill your guts, as that is how they get you to fail. Very few people have failed because their chart looked bad. But LOTS of people have failed because they caved under pressure from the polygrapher.

This is the stupidest thing I’ve read in a while. Are you a Russian troll?

OP should spill his guts because making a vague post on an anonymous forum is not incriminating. Admitting to it will not deny you a clearance. But lying about something this stupid, if it sets you off, will make it seem like you’re lying about serious things.

The polygraph is an absolute joke. Polygraphers ALWAYS tell you that you failed at least one question. It is basically a fishing expedition. Do a little research on the polygraph and how it is used by employers and adjudicators. Then you will "get it."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My squeaky-clean cousin had such a hard time with the poly. He ended up failing a couple times and almost gave up on his dream career. I have no idea why- he never did drugs, never even drank alcohol until 21.

The poly detects is you have a conscience.

Happened to my husband on a question like, “Is there anything else you’re not telling us?”

He was 25 at the time and a brutally honest person. Wracked his brain for anything that needed to be shared but he had nothing yet couldn’t pass that question.

[Anonymous]

A couple of thoughts. First, my Poly was CI through DIA. I have had three.

They always went over the questions to ensure that you understood the context.

For example, "Have you ever lied for personal gain". Um yes. I never told my boss I was going on a job interview, I said I had a medical appointment.

We would talk about the questions so I could comfortably answer the question without questioning myself.

The hard one was "Did you ever know someone who betrayed the country". I was a neighbor of Hanson. So yes. I did not have a close relationship with him, found him creepy. And he was fully investigated. It was not a problem