By Andrew Jolley, CAMS | Fraud SME, FiVerity
Behind every scam is a victim who trusts the system and a professional like you, working to make it safer. But while financial crime evolves in real time, our response is often slowed by isolation. It’s time we changed that together as a community.
In our world, you don’t chase headlines or glory, you chase patterns. You look past the obvious. You think like a criminal so you can stop one. You protect people from threats they’ll never know existed.
As fraud and AML professionals, we operate in the shadows, yet we defend something vital: trust in the financial system. But despite the skill, dedication, and tenacity across this industry, we’re still fighting in silos.
People often think fraud investigation is all numbers and red flags algorithms, alerts, and spreadsheets full of transactions. But for those of us who have experienced this type of work every day, it’s something deeper. It’s much more personal.
Because behind every fraudulent wire transfer, there’s a victim. Behind every shell company, there’s a scheme.
And behind every red flag, there’s someone trying to exploit the system that so many people rely on to keep their money, identities, and livelihoods safe.
When I got into the world of BSA/AML and fraud prevention, I quickly realized something: I wasn’t just working for a Credit Union or a compliance team; I was part of the last line of defense against real harm.
Whether it’s stopping someone from losing their life savings to a romance scam, detecting money laundering that’s fueling drug trafficking, or identifying transactions tied to terrorist activity, the stakes are real. This isn’t abstract work. It has weight. It demands both passion and precision.
Fraudsters don’t work alone. They form networks, share intel, and move faster than ever exploiting gaps between institutions, jurisdictions, and data systems. Meanwhile, we’re stuck comparing case notes across spreadsheets, hunting for connections in isolation, and waiting too long for validation from peers we can’t easily reach.
That’s not just frustrating, it’s dangerous.
The financial services industry is filled with smart, dedicated people working hard to protect their institutions. Real strength and impact come when we connect and when every institution becomes part of a united front.
The Motivation: Justice + Curiosity
What motivates a good investigator?
It’s a mix of justice and curiosity.
Justice means I want to catch the people who are gaming on the system and those who see human vulnerability as an opportunity. Curiosity means I love puzzles. Fraudsters are creative, and that forces us to stay sharp. I’m always asking:
That mindset is what keeps me engaged and evolving. And it’s also what I bring into the products I help build.
If you're a part of the financial services industry, here's why this should matter to you: You’re not just buying technology when you choose a fraud or AML solution you’re buying the mindset behind it.
You want tools built by people who understand the human side of fraud who know how scams evolve, how money moves, and how compliance teams think. You want people who don’t just know the law but know the pressure you're under to do more with less, while still protecting your customers.
This is more than a job. It’s a calling for justice.
And I know I’m not the only one who feels that way.
If you're part of a team that takes fraud seriously and not just for the institution’s bottom line but for the people, it serves then we’re probably on the same page. And I’d love to hear your story.