
Advertise on podcast: Fraud Forward
Rating
4.9from
This podcast has
88 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Hailey WindhamExplicit
No
Date created
2024/05/01
Latest episode
2026/02/04
Average duration
41 min.
Release period
8 days
Description
Fraud Forward is a banking-focused podcast bringing together fraud fighters, risk leaders, and financial crime experts to explore how fraud is evolving, and how financial institutions must adapt. Each episode features practical, candid conversations with teams in the trenches, covering strategy, governance, prevention, and recovery. Rather than chasing headlines, Fraud Forward focuses on what’s working, what’s changing, and what fraud leaders need to prepare for as financial crime accelerates. This is where banking comes together to challenge assumptions, pressure-test controls, and move fraud forward.
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Check latest episodes from Fraud Forward podcast
Agentic Commerce: The Fraud Hotbed No One’s Ready For (with Chen Zamir)
2026/02/04
Agentic commerce sounds futuristic, until it starts hitting your auth flows, your dispute queues, and your monitoring pipelines.
In this episode of Fraud Forward, host Hailey Windham sits down with Chen Zamir, Head of Fraud Strategy at Sardine and Founder of Native Risk, to unpack what happens when AI agents don’t just recommend, they act. They browse, click, checkout, retry, and optimize at machine speed, sometimes with no human in the loop.
Hailey and Chen break down the two flavors of agentic commerce (API/MCP-based vs. in-browser agents), then get direct about the fraud pressure that follows any new payment-adjacent product. They dig into the first typologies likely to spike, why “secure protocols” won’t solve the real problems, and the OTP timing trap that makes step-up friction feel irrelevant when the customer is asleep, offline, or busy on purpose.
They also cover the downstream damage teams aren’t modeling yet: rising abandonment, risk scores inflated by failed challenges, messier proof of intent, and a stack that struggles to separate agentic flows from everything else.
The core takeaway is simple: fraud teams need to identify, route, and manage agent-driven transactions as a distinct channel before the ecosystem forces the issue.
Guest lineup:
Chen Zamir: Head of Fraud Strategy at Sardine, founder of NativeRiskHailey Windham: Host of Fraud Forward and Community Banking Lead at Sardine
Fraud Isn’t a Silo…It’s a Systems Problem (with Frank McKenna)
2026/01/28
Fraud programs often measure what is easiest, not what’s most important. In this episode of Fraud Forward, host Hailey Windham welcomes back Frank McKenna for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about the realities fraud leaders are facing today.
Frank and Hailey dig into where fraud hides in plain sight, why so many losses are misclassified as credit risk, and how institutions consistently overreact to trends while underinvesting in the fraud already hitting their balance sheets. They explore the role AI is truly playing in fraud today, where it adds value, where it falls short, and why humans must remain firmly in the loop.
From loan fraud and credit washing to insider threats, identity overinvestment, and the long-term impact of bad fraud decisions on customers and employees, this episode challenges comfortable assumptions and legacy thinking. It is a candid discussion about what fraud teams need to stop doing, what they need to do differently, and how fraud is becoming an existential issue for financial institutions.
Guest lineup:
Frank McKenna: Chief Fraud Strategist, Co-Founder at Point PredictiveHailey Windham: Host of Fraud Forward and Community Banking Lead at Sardine
Links:
Frank on FraudNo Brakes, No Limits. Our Fraud Predictions For 2026 - Frank on Fraud
Fraud at Machine Speed: What 2025 Taught Us About 2026
2026/01/21
Fraud isn’t slowing down, it’s evolving. The Banking on Fraudology podcast is now Fraud Forward, and we’re kicking off the new era with a no-nonsense look at what financial institutions are actually facing on the front lines.
In this premiere episode, host Hailey Windham brings together fraud, risk, and BSA leaders from banks and credit unions to separate real signals from industry noise. No hype. No fear-mongering. Just firsthand insight from teams fighting fraud at machine speed.
We unpack:
What fraud teams saw escalate over the past yearWhich threats are accelerating into 2026Where banks and credit unions remain most exposedHow digital arrest scams, Ghost Tap fraud, and self-adapting AI attacks are changing the gameWhy in-branch controls are making a comeback
If you’re responsible for fraud prevention, BSA, risk, or compliance, this episode offers clear, realistic guidance on what to prioritize now, and what needs to change as fraud keeps moving faster.
🎙 Guest lineup:
Karen Boyer, SVP, Financial Crimes - M&T Bank
Jen Lamont, BSA & Fraud Manager - America’s Credit Union
Angela Diaz, Senior Risk Manager, External Fraud Oversight - TD
Hailey Windham, Host of Fraud Forward & Community Banking Lead - Sardine
👉 Subscribe for more real-world fraud insights from the people closest to the risk.
Leveling Up for Impact: My Big News and the Future of Banking on Fraudology
2025/12/17
In this episode of Banking on Fraudology, Hailey Windham reflects on her journey in the industry by sharing big news and zooming out to address the "seismic shift" this change represents for her career and the community.
Hailey officially announces she has joined Sardine as their Community Lead for Banking. She directly addresses industry skepticism, clarifying that this move is a values-aligned, impact-driven decision and "not a sellout moment".
The conversation dives into the industry's evolution , highlighting how shared learning, cross-institution conversations, and an authentic community are shaping the future of fraud prevention.
Key Takeaways: Why the Move, What Changes, and the Future of CommunityBelief and Values Alignment are Essential: The "Why" Behind the DecisionThe Trust Filter: Hailey notes that she only puts her name behind brands she trusts and never stays silent for convenience. Culture Over Tech: What stood out about Sardine was its culture of humility and curiosity, and a willingness to say, "We don't have this all figured out. Let's build it with the community". Voice and Ownership: Crucially, she was never asked to change her voice , and she retains ownership of her catalog.
Scaling Impact (Internal Threat): The Shift from Individual to CommunityHailey explains that the role isn't about pushing product; it's about building authentic banking and credit union communities and challenging the status quo. This move is about scaling impact—moving from helping one or two credit unions at a time to having a much bigger reach and connecting them with resources. The goal is to move past institutional silos, driven by the mindset that "fraud doesn't happen in silos and neither should our solutions".
Fraud Forward (External Threats): The Podcast Evolves Alongside the IndustryBanking on Fraudology is evolving and will be rebranded as Fraud Forward. The rebrand will bring improved production quality, consistency, and reach, allowing for bigger, bolder conversations. Hailey promises the same honesty, hard conversations, and advocacy for fraud fighters will continue.
Get in the mood of being grateful for the fraud-fighting community, and be reminded of how strong the fraud-fighting community truly is. The next chapter is about moving fraud prevention forward together.
Bonus Episode — Powered by Safeguard:Building Smarter, Not Harder: Using AI to Eliminate Fraud’s Busy Work with Ben Graf
2025/12/12
In this bonus episode of Banking on Fraudology, powered by Safeguard , Hailey Windham talks with Ben Graf, a self-taught AI expert in the neobank space. Ben embodies the spirit of curiosity and courage driving the next wave of fraud-fighting transformation.
The conversation dives into what it really looks like to learn AI from the ground up, emphasizing that the future of fraud prevention isn't about replacing people, but empowering them through technology.
Key Takeaways: AI, Innovation, and Fraud-Fighting Empowerment
Using AI to Learn AI: Ben explains how he used varying LLM chats (like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini) as a coach or mentor, experimenting for hours to understand their capabilities, consistency, and how to effectively prompt them.
This approach helped him translate technical language and practices (like data analysis, SQL, and JavaScript) into actionable knowledge for his team, breaking down communication barriers.The hardest part was knowing where to start, but the key was realizing that "something is better than nothing" and compounding knowledge quickly breaks down barriers.
Practical AI Applications for Eliminating Busy Work: AI should be used to make teams more efficient and help professionals focus strategically.
Automating Document Verification: AI can use OCR to pull data, flag inconsistencies, and serve up summaries for identity, business, and income documents, which are often the most time-consuming parts of a review.Data Retrieval and System Silos: AI can help team members write their own SQL queries to retrieve data from data warehouses, dramatically reducing requests to the data team.Product and Feature Proposals: AI tools can mock up full dashboard concepts and even provide code snippets to give engineers a visual and break down communication barriers between fraud and technical teams.
The Power of Empowerment and Buy-In: Leadership should create a culture where fraud fighters are empowered to explore and innovate.
The magic of time savings lies in filling the time freed from "busy work" (like false positives) with new, high-impact tasks, whether that's cost savings in fraud loss or better customer retention.Teams are advised to keep proprietary or PII information out of the loop and find safe spaces to explore, remembering that everyone is still figuring out what AI can do.
Get in the mood of being grateful for the fraud-fighting community, and be reminded of how strong the fraud-fighting community truly is.
About Hailey Windham:
As a 2023 CU Rockstar Recipient, Hailey Windham, CFCS (Certified Financial Crimes Specialist) demonstrated unbounding passion for educating her community, organization and credit union membership on scams in the market and best practices to avoid them. She has implemented several programs within her previous organizations that aim at holistically learning about how to prevent and detect fraud targeted at membership and employees.
Windham’s initiatives to build strong relationships and partnerships throughout the credit union community and industry experts have led to countless success stories. Her applied knowledge of payments system programs combined with her experience in fraud investigations offers practical concepts that are transferable, no matter the organization’s size.
Connect with Hailey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hailey-windham/
The Fraud Stories That Defined 2025 — And the Payment Shifts That Will Define 2026
2025/12/10
In this episode of Banking on Fraudology, Hailey Windham reflects on a transformational year in fraud by unpacking recent, high-stakes cases and zooming out to address the "seismic shift" in the payment ecosystem.
The conversation dives into the industry's evolution , highlighting how human intuition, technology, and a unified view of risk are shaping the future of fraud prevention.
Key Takeaways: Cases, Controls, and the Future of PaymentsEmpathy and Human Intuition are Essential: The episode shares several cases that underscore the power of the human element.
The Mrs. Doubtfire Scam: A bizarre case where a man disguised himself as his deceased 82-year-old mother to collect her pension for three years. The case was cracked by a frontline clerk who noticed the hands looked too young and the voice slipped, proving that intuition is irreplaceable. The Frontline Hero: A Missouri bank teller saved a woman from a jury duty arrest scam by quietly slipping her a note, proving that no AI system can replace human compassion and intuition.
The End of Siloed Intelligence (Internal Threat): Insider threats highlight a control problem, not just an employee problem.
Cases involving unauthorized withdrawals, debit card ordering, and forged checks by multiple employees at a major US bank point to patterns of inadequate monitoring and excessive permissions. The Tacoma Credit Union case, where a remote employee stole $345,000 weeks after hire, reinforces that remote work requires stronger oversight, and new hires are high-risk periods.
Innovation is Working For Us (External Threats): Scams are evolving alongside technology.
Scammers are using real bank activity (transaction amounts and timestamps) to build trust and bypass knowledge-based authentication. New tactics include fake CAPTCHAs that install malware to bypass 2FA, log keystrokes, and spy on sessions, leading to rapidly climbing losses.
The State of the Fraud Fighter (Payment Rail Shift): The industry must adapt to the speed of instant payments.
Scams are the #1 driver of losses across every rail (ACH, Wires, P2P, Zelle, RTP, FedNow); the vulnerability is social engineering, not the rail itself. The number one strategic imperative is to build a unified, real-time view of risk across every payment rail, as regulators now demand real-time resilience and proof that harm could have been prevented.
Get in the mood of being grateful for the fraud-fighting community, and be reminded of how strong the fraud-fighting community truly is.
Show Notes — Resources & Articles Mentioned
Insider Fraud Cases
1 - Multiple Trust Employees Accused of Draining Customer Accounts — $363,452 in Losses
2 - The “Mrs. Doubtfire” Fraud Case (Italian Identity Fraud Scandal) - Source via Frank on Fraud (PDF)
3 - Tacoma Credit Union Insider Steals...
Building a Unified Front Against Human Crime: The Knoble’s Mission, Momentum & Moment of Need
2025/12/03
In this special episode of Banking on Fraudology, Hailey Windham welcomes back Ian Mitchell, founder of The Knoble, to delve into the organization's critical mission, its global impact, and the urgent need for community support.
The conversation centers on the concept of "human crimes" , a focus area for The Knoble which includes human trafficking, child exploitation (especially online exploitation of children), scams, and elder financial exploitation. Ian emphasizes that banks are in a powerful position to detect and disrupt these financially motivated crimes proactively.
Key Takeaways: Mission, Impact, and Urgency
The Knoble's Network & Tools: The Knoble is a 501c3 nonprofit that serves as a community of nearly 3,000 financial professionals dedicated to fighting financial crime with heart. The network has collaboratively developed tactical tools, including a business case sheet for justifying scams programs , a post-scam victimization guide , and a SAR addendum/template that attaches data fields to SAR filings to help law enforcement modernize their approach to analytics. Human Crime Specialist Program: Ian introduces the six-month Human Crime Specialist (HCS) Program , an intensive training course designed to equip financial professionals across all organizational levels (with 5+ years experience preferred) to fight all human crimes, covering everything from prevention and detection to policy and victim response. Global Impact: The Knoble's commitment to coordinated industry action has earned them an invitation to the United Nations to help strengthen the worldwide response to human trafficking. Critical Funding Shortfall: Ian transparently addresses the urgent funding moment facing The Knoble. He appeals to the community for support to ensure their work—which is critical to human safety and disrupting organized crime—can continue. The Call to Action: Ian's message to fraud fighters and leaders is to "live with heart" and to remember that they are in the people business. He encourages listeners to get involved in The Knoble's free network and consider sending a team member to the HCS Program.
TheKnoble.com
The Knoble Human Crime Specialist Program
Impact Reports
Donate to The Knoble
About Hailey Windham:
As a 2023 CU Rockstar Recipient, Hailey Windham, CFCS (Certified Financial Crimes Specialist) demonstrated unbounding passion for educating her community, organization and credit union membership on scams in the market and best practices to avoid them. She has implemented several programs within her previous organizations that aim at holistically learning about how to prevent and detect fraud targeted at membership and employees.
Windham’s initiatives to build strong relationships and partnerships throughout the credit union community and industry experts have led to countless success stories. Her applied knowledge of payments system programs combined with her experience in fraud investigations offers practical concepts that are transferable, no matter the organization’s size.
Connect with Hailey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hailey-windham/
A Giant Serving of Gratitude: Thanksgiving Special on Empathy, Collaboration, & the Future of Fraud Fighting
2025/11/26
In this reflective and gratitude-filled episode of Banking on Fraudology, Hailey Windham takes a moment to step back and appreciate the people and themes shaping the fight against fraud, delivering a "giant serving of gratitude" for the community.
The conversation dives into the industry's evolution, highlighting how innovation and collaboration are aligning to create a powerful, transformative moment in fraud prevention. Hailey also shares personal highlights from a recent major industry event and spotlights the leaders who are making a significant impact.
Key Takeaways: Gratitude, Collaboration, and the Future of Fraud Fighting
Empathy is Not Optional: Hailey stresses that empathy must be recognized as a core fraud prevention strategy. Inspired by Kathy Stokes of AARP and the "Words Matter campaign," the episode emphasizes that if we shame victims, we protect fraudsters, and we must talk about victims with dignity.The End of Siloed Intelligence: Collaboration is no longer optional; we fight better when we fight together. Hailey discusses conversations with innovators like Robbie from Sardine, who advocate for collective intelligence, shared signals, and bringing smaller institutions into the fold.Innovation is Working For Us: Drawing on insights from Andrea at Old Glory Bank, Hailey asserts that this is the best time to fight fraud, as technology, data, and awareness are aligning, and tools are evolving quickly. Fraud fighters should start embracing tech and AI resources.Spotlight on Industry Leaders: Hailey expresses gratitude for the impact of numerous leaders, including Jen (America's Credit Unions) for empowering frontline teams with quarterly fraud trainings, Mark Solomon (IAFCI) for his global perspective , and Trisha Stoner (Carolinas Chapter IAFCI) whom Hailey is honored to serve as Second VP under.Honoring Courage and Legacy: The episode shares moving highlights from the Carolinas IAFCI Conference, including the creation of a Community Service Award and the naming of the Gavin Guffey Cyber Investigator of the Year award. This new award honors the legacy of Gavin Guffey and the advocacy of House Representative Brandon Guffey in the fight against online exploitation and sextortion.The State of the Fraud Fighter: The biggest theme resonating with every guest is that fraud fighters are exhausted, but hopeful. That combination of determination and optimism is what is creating movement.
Get in the mood of being grateful and be reminded of how strong the fraud-fighting community truly is.
The Next Evolution of Fraud Defense: Unlocking Collective Intelligence with Sonar AI (with Ravi Loganathan)
2025/11/19
Banking on Fraudology is presented by Sardine.ai.
In this episode of Banking on Fraudology, Hailey Windham sits down with Ravi Loganathan, Co-founder and President of Sonar AI and Head of Banking and Policy at Sardine. Ravi, who has over 20 years in banking and consortium work with institutions like Early Warning Services, Zelle, and Bank of America, has been leading the charge at Sardine to make intelligent sharing accessible and actionable for all institutions.
The conversation dives deep into the concept of collective intelligence, which Ravi describes as a "must-have" in the age of accelerating AI-driven scams. Fraudsters exploit information sharing gaps by jumping from one institution (like a fintech) to another (like a large regulated bank), making an ecosystem-wide defense essential.
Key Takeaways: Unlocking Collective Intelligence with Sonar AI
The Sonar AI Origin Story: Sonar AI was kickstarted three years ago by a group of banks and fintechs to fill a critical gap: the lack of infrastructure for real-time risk information sharing when funds movement or instant settlement is authorized. This was driven by the need to combat authorized push payment (APP) fraud, particularly concerning the lack of insights on the recipient.How Sonar AI Works: Sonar AI is an industry utility. Before an institution authorizes a fund movement or account opening, they can inquire into Sonar on the entity conducting the transaction. Sonar returns curated signals (often simplified to "high, medium, low" risk, block list status, etc.) for the institution to augment their existing risk decisioning process. In return, the institution provides feedback, benefiting the next inquiring member.Regulatory Foundation: Sonar AI is built on a strong regulatory framework, having worked with FinCEN to receive 314(b) designation to form an association of financial institutions. It also facilitates broader fraud signal sharing under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA).Empowering Smaller FIs: Sonar AI offers features specifically for smaller community banks and credit unions, including batch contribution and batch inquiry to eliminate the need for immediate API tech builds. Ravi details their collaboration with the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) accelerator program to embed Sardine's solutions into core providers and invite FIs to join Sonar as members.Future Innovations: Ravi reveals Sonar AI's newest services, including Footprint, which provides a broader view of a consumer's financial standing by tracking their transactions across crypto exchanges, marketplaces, and fintechs , and the expansion of the Red Flag service for monitoring credentials leaked on the dark web.
This is a must-listen for investigators, executives, and anyone working in the financial crimes space who is serious about strengthening prevention efforts and is ready to embrace the future of shared, collective defense.
About Hailey Windham:
As a 2023 CU Rockstar Recipient, Hailey Windham, CFCS (Certified Financial Crimes Specialist) demonstrated unbounding passion for educating her community, organization and credit union membership on scams in the market and best practices to avoid them. She has implemented several programs within her previous organizations that aim at holistically learning about how to prevent and detect fraud targeted at membership and employees.
Windham’s initiatives to build strong relationships and partnerships throughout the credit union community and industry experts have led to countless success stories. Her applied knowledge of payments system programs combined with her experience in fraud...
Bonus Episode — Powered by Safeguard: Why Now Is the Best Time to Fight Fraud (w/ Andrea Valentin)
2025/11/14
In this powerful bonus episode of Banking on Fraudology, powered by Safeguard, Hailey Windham sits down with Andrea Vallentine, Senior Vice President of Fraud and Risk at Old Glory Bank.
The conversation dives deep into Andrea's genuinely excited perspective that "this might actually be the best time to be fighting fraud". We explore the rising momentum of collaboration and shared learning that is unifying the industry against fraudsters.
Key Takeaways: Collaboration, AI, and Empathy in Fraud PreventionThe Power of Collaboration: Andrea highlights the exciting activities and investments from groups like Fraud Fight Club, Operation Shamrock, and House of Fraud. The focus is shifting from selling products to learning, educating, and collaborating.
The AI Perspective: The industry is moving past fear, recognizing that AI has been around for a long time. The recent AI explosion has gotten people more open to listening, realizing they are already using smart technologies in areas like transaction scoring (e.g., Falcon) and link analysis.
A Shift to Purpose: Collaboration is increasing because the industry now recognizes the emotional devastation and human impact of fraud. The focus has moved beyond competing to a shared mission of working together "against the fraudsters".
Tips for Smaller Teams (Leveraging AI): Andrea recommends that smaller teams use AI (like ChatGPT) to draft summaries, create templates, and refine procedures. This allows teams to find holes in their processes and generate new ideas without using sensitive PII.
The Human Side of Design: Empathy is shaping the next generation of fraud design. Using machine learning to identify patterns of customer friction , and giving real-life stories to team members, helps move them out of "robot mode" and focus on the customer experience.
Andrea's Final Thought: AI is not scary, and we have been using it forever in things like marketing suggestions on Amazon. She encourages everyone to get involved and leverage the wealth of existing, shared resources instead of recreating materials.
This is a must-listen for executives, investigators, and all fraud professionals who are serious about strengthening prevention efforts and building a fraud-fighting community driven by empathy and innovation.
Links:
Connect to Andrea on LinkedInLearn more about the Safeguard AI deep dive retreat happening in May : SafeguardEvent.com
About Hailey Windham:
As a 2023 CU Rockstar Recipient, Hailey Windham, CFCS (Certified Financial Crimes Specialist) demonstrated unbounding passion for educating her community, organization and credit union membership on scams in the market and best practices to avoid them. She has implemented several programs within her previous organizations that aim at holistically learning about how to prevent and detect fraud targeted at membership and employees.
Windham’s initiatives to build strong relationships and partnerships throughout the credit union community and industry experts have led to countless success stories. Her applied knowledge of payments system programs combined with her experience in fraud investigations offers practical concepts that are...
International Fraud Awareness Week — Igniting the Spirit of Fraud Fighters Everywhere with John Duffley
2025/11/12
In this powerful episode of Banking on Fraudology, Hailey Windham sits down with John Duffley, Communications Director at the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), who leads the global coordination and growth of International Fraud Awareness Week.
The conversation dives deep into the origins of this massive global initiative, which began in 2000 as "National Fraud Awareness Week" and has since evolved to be celebrated by thousands of organizations across more than 130 countries, supporting a community of over 95,000 fraud professionals.
Key Takeaways: International Fraud Awareness Week
A Global Springboard: Fraud Week is an annual opportunity for organizations of all sizes—from local law firms to Fortune 500 companies—to discuss and address fraud prevention and detection efforts, serving as a launchpad for success in the coming year.
Creative Campaign Ideas: Organizations participate in countless impactful ways, including multi-week campaigns, virtual trainings, community events, social media efforts, and internal recognition (like Hailey's personal "Scooby Doo Awards"!).
Tips for Smaller Teams: John and Hailey share simple, budget-friendly ways smaller financial institutions (FIs) like credit unions and community banks can participate, emphasizing conversation, awareness, social media engagement, and internal recognition. Hailey shares a successful, low-cost fraud roundtable example.
Essential ACFE Resources: Get a rundown of the free resources available on fraudweek.com, including proclamation and press release templates, interactive games like "Geo Party" and "Fraud Myth Busters," videos, infographics, and a simple Fraud Prevention Checklist.
Building a Fraud-Savvy Culture: Learn how Fraud Week can initiate long-term cultural change, the importance of gaining leadership buy-in by reaffirming brand trust, and the proven ROI of awareness training (tips are the most common detection method, accounting for 43% of frauds).
John's Top Tip for Every Fraud Fighter: Start a conversation with someone close to you—a colleague, supervisor, or family member—because awareness begins with simply sharing what you know to protect those most vulnerable to scams.
This is a must-listen for investigators, executives, and anyone working in the financial crimes space who is serious about strengthening prevention efforts and building a global fraud-fighting community.
Don't forget to use #FraudWeek when sharing your organization's efforts!
Links:
Connect with the global fraud-fighting community and download your free resources: fraudweek.com
acfe.com/
Words Matter: Changing How We Talk About Victims of Fraud with Kathy Stokes
2025/11/05
In this powerful episode of Banking on Fraudology, Hailey Windham sits down with Kathy Stokes, Director of Fraud Prevention Programs at AARP, a nationally recognized leader in consumer protection and elder fraud prevention.
The conversation dives deep into Stokes's foundational statement: "We need to talk about victims in order to talk about the fraud as a crime". They explore why language is the single most critical tool in the fight against financial crime and how the words we choose can either help or harm.
Key Takeaways:
- Calling it a Crime: Stokes explains that financial fraud must be viewed as a crime, not as a mistake by the person who experienced it, which helps shift the blame from the victim to the transnational criminal enterprises that are often responsible.
- The Problem with Avoiding "Victim": While a person who experienced the crime should be allowed to lead the conversation one-on-one, in the third person, the term "victim" should be used to help people understand the severity of the crime.
- The Power of Empathy: They discuss the psychological impact of being deceived, and why approaching a person with context and empathy (rather than immediately saying "you've been scammed") is crucial to prevent them from shutting down.
- Changing the Language: Stokes shares two terms she wishes the industry would eliminate: "fraudster," because it sounds "kind of cute" and gets the perpetrator "off the hook," and "victim assisted," which inaccurately implies the victim aided the crime rather than being coerced or manipulated.
- A Call to Action for Fraud Teams: Kathy Stokes stresses that the first reaction to someone who has experienced fraud should be: "My God, I'm so sorry this happened to you. It's not your fault. Come on, let's talk about it. Let's report it".
- Hope for the Future: Hear about AARP's groundbreaking work, including the Words Matter campaign and their effort to change the narrative surrounding fraud through advocacy, education, and partnerships.
This is a must-listen for investigators, executives, and anyone working in the financial crimes space who is serious about strengthening prevention efforts and supporting those impacted by fraud.
______________________________
Connect with Hailey on LinkedIn
Connect with Kathy on LinkedIn
Links:
AARP Words Matter Campaign: aarp.org/wordsmatter
Fraud Wars on Youtube
AARP Fraud Watch Network
Protecting What Matters: Inside the IAFCI with President Mark Solomon
2025/10/29
Fraud Forward is powered by Sardine
In this insightful episode of Banking on Fraudology, host Hailey Widham welcomes Mark Solomon, President of the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators (IAFCI), for an in-depth look at how global collaboration is reshaping the fight against financial crime.
With more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement and fraud investigation, Mark shares his personal journey from detective to IAFCI leader and reveals how the organization’s vast network of over 8,000 members empowers professionals across banking, retail, insurance, and law enforcement. The discussion explores the IAFCI’s mission, structure, and the importance of community-driven intelligence sharing, plus a look at major initiatives such as its annual conference and the recent cryptocurrency summit.
Mark Solomon
https://www.iafci.org/
https://open.spotify.com/show/6IkkWtu1U7kJmJTbh4CxdK?si=d7f856c500f14511
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/iafci-presents-the-protectors/id1587253361
About Hailey Windham:
As a 2023 CU Rockstar Recipient, Hailey Windham, CFCS (Certified Financial Crimes Specialist) demonstrated unbounding passion for educating her community, organization and credit union membership on scams in the market and best practices to avoid them. She has implemented several programs within her previous organizations that aim at holistically learning about how to prevent and detect fraud targeted at membership and employees.
Windham’s initiatives to build strong relationships and partnerships throughout the credit union community and industry experts have led to countless success stories. Her applied knowledge of payments system programs combined with her experience in fraud investigations offers practical concepts that are transferable, no matter the organization’s size.
Connect with Hailey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hailey-windham/
https://www.fraudfightclub.com/https://www.about-fraud.com/
Document Fraud in the Age of Generative AI with Ronan Burke
2025/10/22
Fraud Forward is powered by Sardine
In this eye-opening episode of Banking on Fraudology, host Hailey Windham sits down with Ronan Burke, co-founder and CEO of Inscribe, to discuss the alarming rise of document fraud in financial services. As generative AI makes creating fake documents easier than ever, Burke reveals that AI-generated and template-based document fraud has surged over 200% in just the first half of 2023. The conversation dives deep into how fraudsters are weaponizing tools like ChatGPT to produce convincing forgeries of bank statements, pay stubs, and tax forms that can fool even experienced analysts. Burke explains that it's no longer just about spotting obvious fakes - financial institutions now face the challenge of proving documents are real. The episode explores why smaller banks and credit unions are especially vulnerable, and offers practical advice for fraud teams to keep up, including leveraging AI powered document verification tools. Windham and Burke stress that while AI is enabling more sophisticated fraud, it's also the key to detecting and preventing it. This timely discussion is a must listen for fraud fighters, compliance professionals, and financial leaders looking to understand and combat the next wave of AI-driven document fraud. Don't miss this chance to arm yourself with cutting edge insights. Tune in now and join the fight against financial crime in the AI era.
Ronan Burke
https://www.inscribe.ai/blog/from-forgeries-to-deepfakes-document-fraud-in-the-age-of-generative-aihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rnnbrk/
About Hailey Windham:
As a 2023 CU Rockstar Recipient, Hailey Windham, CFCS (Certified Financial Crimes Specialist) demonstrated unbounding passion for educating her community, organization and credit union membership on scams in the market and best practices to avoid them. She has implemented several programs within her previous organizations that aim at holistically learning about how to prevent and detect fraud targeted at membership and employees.
Windham’s initiatives to build strong relationships and partnerships throughout the credit union community and industry experts have led to countless success stories. Her applied knowledge of payments system programs combined with her experience in fraud investigations offers practical concepts that are transferable, no matter the organization’s size.
Connect with Hailey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hailey-windham/
https://www.fraudfightclub.com/https://www.about-fraud.com/
Contraband Connections: Crime Networks Inside Prison Walls w/ Travis Cox (Part 2)
2025/10/15
Fraud Forward is powered by Sardine
In this eye-opening episode of Banking on Fraudology, host Hailey Widham sits down with Travis Cox, investigator with the South Carolina Department of Corrections, to uncover the dark world of prison based fraud and organized crime.
Cox shares a rare inside look at how inmates use contraband cell phones to run sophisticated fraud, extortion, and money laundering schemes from behind bars often mirroring the tactics of external fraud rings and cybercriminal networks.
Through cases like “Iron Pipeline,” “Flash,” and “Clean Sweep,” Hailey and Travis reveal how prisoners leverage technology, manipulation, and underground communication tools to traffic drugs, exploit victims, and move millions through cryptocurrency, peer-to-peer apps, and even online gaming platforms.
The conversation highlights the growing threat these crimes pose to financial institutions, law enforcement, and local communities, calling for stronger collaboration, tougher sentencing, and smarter fraud detection strategies.
Roy E. Cox
District of South Carolina | Two Men Charged With Illegally Trafficking Almost 60 Guns Into Philadelphia From South Carolina | United States Department of Justice
State Grand Jurors issue rare report on continued problem of organized crime run from within state prisons using contraband cellphones - South Carolina Attorney General
FCC approves cell phone jamming against SC prison inmates | The State
Man accused of setting fire at home of South Carolina corrections officer in suspected retaliation | WBTW
Ex-prison guard, shot six times, hails FCC push to allow cellphone jamming behind bars
Nine SCDC inmates, six others indicted in $5M fraud scheme | WCBD News 2
About Hailey Windham:
As a 2023 CU Rockstar Recipient, Hailey Windham, CFCS (Certified Financial Crimes Specialist) demonstrated unbounding passion for educating her community, organization and credit union membership on scams in the market and best practices to avoid them. She has implemented several programs within her previous organizations that aim at holistically learning about how to prevent and detect fraud targeted at membership and employees.
Windham’s initiatives to build strong relationships and partnerships throughout the credit union community and industry experts have led to countless success stories. Her applied knowledge of payments system...
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Freddy Massimi 2024/08/29
Awesome Podcast
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Absolutely Amazing! A Must-Listen for All Fraud Fighters!**
Haley's podcast is a goldmine of valuable information for anyone in the fraud ...
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