- [Detective] Hey, you. Yeah, you. You wouldn't happen to have seen a duper around here by any chance, would you? "What's a duper?" I hear you ask. Well, that's a tricky thing. You see, they could be anyone. Him, her, that guy over there. They could even be you. A duper is someone who likes to lie. And sure, little lies may not be so bad from time to time. I mean, let's face it, we all do it, but there's a difference between a duper and someone who's just told some little white lies. Most people who lie, they'll feel regret. They may even come clean in the end. But a duper, they don't feel regret. They get a kick outta their lies, leading them to do it again and again and again. In fact, that kick they feel, it's even got a name... The Duper's Delight. For some, lying becomes addictive. Small lies lead to bigger lies. And before you know it, you can't tell what's real and what's not, what's right and what's wrong. And if the story gets out that you cheated, well, say goodbye to your reputation, your friends, even your career. So how do you detect a duper? Well, let's look at some telltale signs that someone could be lying to you. Their voice might get higher.

- [Duper] "I don't know what you mean?"

- [Narrator] Or they might switch the conversation to a different subject.

- [Duper] "Yeah, yeah, nice weather we're having recently."

- [Narrator] They could use phrases like...

- [Duper] "It's the truth, honestly."

- [Narrator] They may hesitate and get tongue tied or give long-winded answers that lead nowhere.

- [Duper] "I, um, I, well, sure, I'm, I'm working on that project. "It's gonna be great. "We've got lots of big plans. "It's gonna make big bucks, you'll see."

- [Narrator] Perhaps, he'll give some elaborate, crazy story to cover up their lie.

- [Duper] "You see, I was trying to get to work on time, "but then my neighbor, well, she needed some help. "She's this little old lady, got a pet dog. "The dog, he's old too. "I had to take him to the vet and "and she needed to go to the docs too."

- [Narrator] Then, when you question them, they go on the offensive and try and make you feel guilty for doubting them.

- [Duper] "I don't like your tone, Jim. "I don't like it at all "and I'm not gonna stand for it, you hear?"

- [Narrator] Watch their body language too. A duper will usually avoid eye contact or swallow more frequently. They might make sudden head movements or angry gestures. Finding a duper ain't enough, though. You've gotta make it hard for dupers to exist in the first place. Do this by creating an environment built on trust, not lies. Don't push people too hard. When you make unreasonable demands, people may feel tempted to cheat or cut corners to meet them. Instead, encourage collaboration. Always lead by example. Be the picture of honesty, fairness and truthfulness and demonstrate what living by those values can get you, success and reward. Finally, if you think you found a duper, gather your evidence and challenge them, calmly, sensitively and in private. If their behavior still doesn't stop, you may need to escalate matters with a harsher warning or even disciplinary action, but always talk to HR before taking these final steps. Well, it's been fun talking to you, but I gotta skedaddle. Them dupers don't catch themselves, you know. Oh, just one more thing. Remember to always beware The Duper's Delight. © 2022 Mind Tools by Emerald Works Limited.