Senior Fraud Investigator

Northwest Bank•Columbus, OH

About The Position

The Senior Fraud Investigator detects, investigates, and resolves suspected internal and external fraud, including check, ACH, wire, card, identity, elder-exploitation, account-takeover, and other financial crimes. The role minimizes financial losses through thorough investigations, identification of fraud patterns, and effective loss mitigation and recovery. It handles complex investigations and supports leaders in improving procedures, fraud detection, and response. The investigator collaborates with AML/CFT, Enterprise Risk Management, Compliance, law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and other partners as needed. Cases are completed in line with closure and quality metrics, and investigative findings are reported to help identify operational and compliance risks. The position also supports recovery efforts, regulatory compliance, litigation preparation and representation, employee training, and the development of Financial Crimes policies and procedures. The role is expected to identify control gaps, promote risk-management principles across stakeholders, and maintain awareness of regulatory developments and emerging financial crimes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
Three to five years of experience conducting fraud investigations in the banking or financial services industry.
Proficiency in Verafin, including its case-management and alerting features.
Knowledge of regulatory requirements, including BSA/AML, OFAC, and FFIEC guidelines.
Understanding of payment fraud, fraud schemes, common scams, and payment fraud investigations.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Ability to analyze financial data and statistics.
Ability to identify problems, evaluate relevant information and possible causes, and recommend alternative courses of action.
Ability to make sound, timely decisions and use judgment in ambiguous situations.
Ability to develop, evaluate, and implement alternative courses of action based on resources, guidelines, and supporting data or reasoning.
Ability to establish effective working relationships, collaborate on problem-solving, and facilitate the exchange of information.
Ability to communicate ideas clearly and concisely, orally and in writing, in a manner suited to the audience.
Ability to listen actively and comprehend others’ views.
Ability to organize work, set courses of action, track progress, and use time and information effectively.
Ability to allocate and use information, personnel, time, and other resources to support strategic plans.
Ability to motivate and direct others, assign work and authority appropriately, and provide advice and assistance.
Ability to understand and apply procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies, and maintain credibility on specialty matters.
Extensive knowledge of applicable local and U.S. laws, international requirements, and industry standards.
Strong organizational, communication, and persuasive skills.
Team-oriented approach.
Certified Fraud Examiner or Certified Financial Crimes Investigator certification upon hire.

Responsibilities

Investigate suspected fraudulent transactions and complex incidents, including employee fraud, fraud rings, check, wire, ACH, debit and credit card fraud, identity theft, elder financial abuse, account takeover, and synthetic identity fraud.
Use Verafin’s case management system to review and resolve cases, exercise independent judgment, document findings, and track cases through resolution.
Analyze transactional data to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies.
Serve as a primary liaison to bank employees, providing guidance on fraudulent activity.
Conduct fact-finding investigations and serve as a subject matter expert on fraud, potential policy violations, regulations, and applicable civil or criminal laws.
Initiate and respond to calls and written correspondence from account holders, bank personnel, and external organizations about suspicious activity or policy violations.
Interview customers, employees, suspects, witnesses, and victims in person or by phone.
Lead recovery efforts, including placing claims on assets, filing criminal charges, and collaborating with the Legal Department on civil matters.
Apply Uniform Commercial Code recovery processes, including breach-of-warranty and return-item procedures.
Execute Hold Harmless agreements and manage related documentation.
Maintain current knowledge of regulatory frameworks and industry practices related to fraud recovery and financial crime investigations, including NACHA requirements.
Identify control gaps and recommend enhancements to reduce future fraud losses.
Prepare clear, complete, and relevant narratives of fraud events in compliance with BSA and FinCEN reporting requirements.
Build and maintain relationships with law enforcement and other external partners.
Prepare cases for potential criminal investigation and prosecution by federal, state, or local authorities.
Represent the bank in civil and criminal litigation related to fraud investigations.
Provide fraud training and awareness sessions to bank personnel and retail management.
Assist in developing training and formal and informal communications that promote risk management and a fraud-aware culture.
Research applicable regulations to support sound decision-making.
Assist Financial Crimes leaders in developing and enhancing policies and procedures.
Influence stakeholders across lines of defense to develop risk-management principles, reach consensus on integration and alignment, and identify enhancements.
Assist Financial Crimes leaders in evaluating process gaps and improvements to align business processes with Northwest’s risk-management framework.
Maintain awareness of regulatory developments and emerging financial crimes that may affect Northwest products and services.
Drive compliance with applicable regulatory and policy requirements.
Exercise sound ethical judgment and transparently escalate, manage, and report control issues to Financial Crimes leaders.
Comply with Northwest policies and procedures and federal and state regulations.
Use Microsoft Office, department-specific applications, and other computer tools effectively.
Work as part of a team and work with on-site equipment.