Don’t try lying to Pamela Meyer. She’s known internationally as an expert deception detector. Her TED talk on the subject is super popular, and she’s written a book called “Liespotting.” She also runs a company called Calibrate in Washington, D.C. which helps businesses root out lying and cut down on fraud.

1. Inconsistent Body Language and Verbal Cues

One of the biggest red flags in deception is when body language doesn’t align with verbal statements. A person might say “yes” while subtly shaking their head “no” or shrug when asserting confidence. Sudden shifts in posture, excessive fidgeting, or creating physical barriers (like crossing arms or turning away) can indicate discomfort. While avoiding eye contact is often associated with lying, some skilled deceivers maintain too much eye contact in an effort to appear truthful. The key is to look for inconsistencies rather than any single behavior.

2. Overly Detailed or Vague Responses

The words people use tell their own story. Liars often fall into two opposite extremes—either over-explaining a story with excessive, unnecessary details or being overly vague to avoid contradiction. If someone gives an answer filled with irrelevant specifics (e.g., exact times, colors, or names that seem unnecessary), they may be fabricating details to sound convincing. On the other hand, vague or evasive responses, such as “I don’t really remember” or “It was just a normal day,” can be a way to avoid providing information that could later be scrutinized. Another classic stall tactic is repeating the question before answering, which gives them extra time to think through their response.

3. Emotional Mismatches and Micro-Expressions

Genuine emotions tend to emerge naturally and in sync with speech, but deception can cause emotional mismatches or fleeting facial expressions known as micro-expressions. For example, someone may express anger or defensiveness when asked a simple question that shouldn’t provoke such a strong reaction. Alternatively, their emotional reaction might be delayed—smiling a beat too late after receiving good news or appearing sad after pausing to think about it. Micro-expressions, which last just fractions of a second, can reveal true feelings before the person consciously suppresses them. Spotting these tiny flashes of emotion requires careful observation, but they can be a powerful tool in detecting deception.