In business, politics or romance, it would be nice to know when, and if, we are being lied to.

Private investigators deal with deception on a daily basis. Our agency specializes in the area of deception, as we are called in by clients who ask us to interview and interrogate their employees who are suspected of being involved in some type of fraud.

I have interviewed thousands of people in my career and have learned that when the proper techniques are imposed you can find most liars, but there are always a few that will not be found.

So how does it work? How do you turn yourself into a human lie detector and see through lies being told to you?

The leading school for fraud detection - the John Reid Institute - is right here in Chicago, and I attended their academy, as have many in law enforcement as well as military personnel. Many major retailers also send their loss prevention employees to the institute, as well.

If you don’t have the experience or plan on attending the academy, what else can you do? Here are some secrets you can use to find out whether you are being told the truth.

Watch as well as listen. Non-verbal behaviors often give insight into whether someone is being truthful.

•Avoiding eye contact.

•Crossing of arms and legs. Shows a defensive posture.

•Wiggling or uncomfortable movements.

• Long pauses.

Verbal cues can also be helpful in determining whether you are being told the truth.

•Talking fast. Liars sometimes speed up their talking.

•Parroting a question or repeating back a question.

•Religious oaths. “I swear on my mother’s grave.”

•Communicating in the third person.

We have all had the wool pulled over our eyes and been lied to. Even the best interrogators in the world miss one now and again. The more someone lies, the better he or she gets at it. The information above at least will give you a better chance against someone who may be trying to deceive you.