Open to Remote · Phoenix, AZ

Protecting brands
from fraud—
without adding
friction.

Leader focused on fraud detection, SAR/BSA reporting, chargeback strategy, and trust-first SOPs. I partner across Ops, CX, Finance, Legal, and Engineering to reduce loss while keeping good customers moving.

LinkedIn ↗  ·  [email protected]  ·  480‑241‑2197
View Case Studies SAR Reporting Contact Me
By the Numbers
$700K+
Embezzlement detected & documented
<0.65%
Chargeback ratio, 3 consecutive cycles
~45%
ATO incident reduction
~30%
Faster time-to-decision
5+ yrs
Fraud & risk ops experience
8+
Carriers reconciled
SAR / BSA Reporting Chargeback Strategy Forensic Accounting Zendesk Case Ops Expert Witness
Core Competencies

Skills & Tools

Fraud detection & investigation SAR / BSA / AML reporting Chargeback strategy ATO recovery & comms Forensic accounting Zendesk case ops KYC & order reviews OSINT investigation Risk analytics & dashboards SOPs & training PCI · GDPR · CCPA Kount / Sift / Riskified SQL basics · Excel / PQ Expert witness testimony
🔍
Investigation
Fraud Detection & Forensic Accounting
End-to-end fraud program leadership: SOPs, playbooks, QA. QuickBooks audit log deep-dives, vendor fraud, ghost payroll, wire review. Expert witness testimony for civil litigation.
📋
Regulatory
SAR Filing & BSA Reporting
Drafting FinCEN-compliant Suspicious Activity Reports. BSA threshold identification, tiered escalation workflows, 5-year documentation protocols, OFAC cross-referencing.
⚖️
Disputes
Chargeback Strategy & Recovery
Standardized evidence packs by Visa/Mastercard reason code. Pre-dispute alert enrollment (Ethoca/Verifi). Win-loss tracking. Ratio held ≤ 0.65% for 3 consecutive cycles.
🛡️
Identity
ATO Recovery & Account Protection
Risk-based step-up authentication, credential stuffing mitigation, device fingerprint allow-listing, empathetic compromise comms. ~45% ATO reduction with stable CSAT.
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Operations
Case Management & KPI Reporting
Zendesk fraud queue architecture, triage macros, SLA enforcement, QA sampling. Dashboards covering fraud rate, CB ratio, FP rate, ATO trends, and time-to-decision.
🕵️
Intelligence
OSINT & Pattern Recognition
Open-source intelligence for subject identification, asset tracing, and social engineering detection. Commission reconciliation across 8+ carriers to surface ghost chargebacks.
Selected Work

Case Studies

Forensic / Legal
Multi-entity business · 18+ months

$700K+ Embezzlement Detection & Expert Witness

Problem
Unexplained cash shortfalls across a multi-entity training organization. Prior audits had failed to surface the pattern.
Actions
Deep QuickBooks audit log analysis, vendor relationship mapping, identification of ghost payroll entries and duplicate disbursements. Full evidence chain documented for civil litigation. SAR-style narrative documentation prepared for regulatory coordination. Coordinated with outside counsel and forensic auditors.
>$700K in fraudulent activity detected and documented. Served as expert witness. Fraud-resistant controls implemented to prevent recurrence.
Commission Fraud
Insurance agency · Ongoing

Commission Reconciliation & Agent Fraud Prevention

Problem
Ghost chargebacks and payout discrepancies totaling tens of thousands of dollars. Unauthorized commission claims from a terminated agent creating regulatory exposure.
Actions
Multi-tab Excel reconciliation across 8+ carriers (UHC, Humana, Aetna, Wellcare, Cigna, and others). Identified ghost chargeback patterns and inflated claims. Prepared professional regulatory inquiry documentation and cease-and-desist correspondence.
Documented discrepancy evidence for carrier dispute. Repeatable reconciliation workflow established. Further unauthorized claims prevented.
Fraud Ops
DTC brand · ~90 days

Zendesk Fraud Queue Overhaul

Problem
Mixed fraud and CX tickets caused slow escalations, inconsistent outcomes, and zero auditability.
Actions
Built triage macros and forms, created abuse categories, defined SLAs by risk tier, added QA sampling, and established clean handoffs to Finance and CX.
~30% faster time-to-decision, improved auditability, and cleaner handoffs.
Dispute Recovery
E-commerce · ~4 months

Chargeback Playbook & Evidence Library

Problem
Inconsistent dispute submissions; ratios approaching Visa/Mastercard network thresholds.
Actions
Standardized evidence packs by reason code, automated order and device signal retrieval, win-loss tracking dashboard, pre-dispute alert program enrollment.
Recovered 5-figure $ in CBs & kept ratios ≤ 0.65% for 3 consecutive cycles.
ATO / Identity
Retail · ~6 months

Account Takeover (ATO) Recovery

Problem
ATO spike from credential stuffing; overly aggressive rules caused a false positive surge affecting good customers.
Actions
Risk-based step-up authentication, device fingerprint allow-listing, empathetic compromise comms templates, and behavioral signals to separate bad actors from legitimate anomalies.
~45% fewer ATO incidents. Stable CSAT. FP rate measurably reduced without increasing fraud losses.
Compliance & Regulatory

SAR Filing & BSA Reporting

Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) are filed with FinCEN under the Bank Secrecy Act when transactions suggest money laundering, fraud, or other financial crimes. A strong SAR program — with tiered escalation, complete narrative writing, and proper record retention — protects the organization, its customers, and its regulators from further exposure.

What I bring to SAR programs
  • Identifying BSA-triggering thresholds ($5K structuring, $10K CTR) and escalation triggers
  • Drafting complete FinCEN-compliant SAR narratives: who, what, when, where, why, and how — with supporting transaction data and chronology
  • Building tiered escalation workflows with defined roles, SLAs, and documented outcomes at each level
  • Maintaining SAR filing logs with 5-year record retention protocols
  • Training front-line staff on red flag recognition and mandatory reporting obligations
  • Cross-referencing OFAC watch lists and sanctions databases during investigations
  • Coordinating with compliance counsel, compliance officers, and banking relationships
  • Integrating SAR workflows into Zendesk and custom case management systems
SAR trigger typologies I monitor
  • Structuring — deposits just under reporting thresholds across multiple accounts
  • Rapid cycling — funds in and immediately out with no apparent business purpose
  • Ghost vendors / shell activity — no legitimate service delivered, invoice discrepancies
  • Payroll anomalies — ghost employees, altered direct deposit routes, off-cycle disbursements
  • Refund abuse — excessive return patterns, policy exploitation, friendly fraud chains
  • Identity manipulation — mismatched KYC data, synthetic identity signals
  • Commission fraud — inflated claims, duplicate submissions, unauthorized rate modifications
  • Credential misuse — agent impersonation, unauthorized access, shared login detection
Investigation Framework
1
Detect
Rules engine alerts, queue triage, anomaly flags, audit review, or tips surface suspicious activity.
2
Document
Preserve evidence chain-of-custody — logs, records, screenshots — timestamped and unaltered.
3
Analyze
Forensic accounting review, audit log mining, behavioral pattern mapping, and data correlation.
4
Escalate
Route to compliance, legal, law enforcement, or FinCEN per tiered protocol. Every decision documented.
5
Remediate
Close control gaps, update SOPs and detection rules, deliver findings report, prevent recurrence.
Pattern Recognition

Fraud Typology Reference

Type Key Indicators Detection Response Risk
Embezzlement Off-hours transactions, split approvals, vendor concentration, missing invoices Audit log review, duplicate payment analysis, vendor clustering Access suspension, forensic imaging, counsel, SAR if BSA threshold met Critical
Friendly Fraud High dispute-to-order ratio, "not received" on confirmed deliveries, repeat buyer Order match, device fingerprint, carrier proof Evidence pack, repeat offender block, pre-dispute alert enrollment High
Account Takeover New device/IP, password reset surge, rapid address or payment update Velocity rules, device fingerprinting, step-up auth triggers Risk hold, re-verification, compromise notification, session invalidation Critical
Commission Fraud Inflated enrollment counts, duplicate submissions, unauthorized rate changes Carrier statement reconciliation, agent login audit, timestamp analysis Commission hold, carrier notification, agent termination, regulatory disclosure Critical
Structuring Deposits just under $10K, multiple same-day transactions, split payments Threshold monitoring, frequency analysis, pattern clustering SAR filing within 30 days, monitoring hold, compliance escalation Critical
Synthetic Identity SSN/DOB mismatch, no credit history, inconsistent KYC data KYC verification, bureau thin-file check, document authenticity Enhanced due diligence, manual ID review, SAR if confirmed, closure High
Refund / Promo Abuse Multiple accounts from same device/IP, unusual return velocity Cross-account linkage, return reason code analysis, promo clustering Account flag, manual hold, promo revocation, blacklist Medium
Vendor / Invoice Fraud New vendor large invoice, altered bank details on known vendor Vendor master audit, invoice matching controls, callback verification Payment hold, verify via known contact, forensic audit log review Medium
Work History

Experience

2019 – Present
California Crane School
Remote / CA

Director of Operations / Forensic Accountant

  • Detected and documented >$700K in embezzlement; served as expert witness in civil litigation
  • Implemented fraud-resistant workflows, audit logging, and customer protections across multi-entity structure
  • Prepared SAR-style documentation and managed evidence chain-of-custody for regulatory coordination
  • Built SOPs and trained teams on fraud procedures, QA, and regulatory adherence
  • Oversaw PCI, GDPR, and CCPA compliance across financial integrity workflows
2018 – Present
Independent Practice
Remote

Fraud Investigator & Forensic Accountant

  • Investigate suspicious financial activity for small businesses and legal cases; deliver actionable forensic reports
  • Deep-dive reviews of QuickBooks audit logs, wire transfers, vendor fraud, and payroll anomalies
  • Commission reconciliation across multi-carrier insurance environments (8+ carriers)
  • Expert witness testimony; advise on internal control design and dispute strategy
  • OSINT investigations in support of civil and regulatory matters
2022 – Present
SafeSuiteHQ
SaaS Compliance · Remote

Chief Growth Officer — Ops & Fraud Oversight

  • Designed fraud-prevention modules for regulated industries with proactive detection and account protection
  • Built case-management workflows, compliance alerts, and multi-tenant risk dashboards with Engineering
  • Defined SAR-readiness protocols integrated into the platform compliance layer
"

Amanda pairs strong judgment with empathy. Losses went down, customer trust went up.

— Head of Operations
Qualifications

Credentials & Toolbox

🎓

Education & Certs

  • BS Criminal Justice — Union Institute & University
  • Forensic Accounting & Fraud Examination Cert — West Virginia University
  • Continuing ed: fraud prevention, OSINT, privacy & compliance
  • BSA/AML awareness training (ongoing)
📈

Reporting & KPIs

  • Fraud rate · Chargeback ratio
  • SAR filing log & BSA threshold monitoring
  • False positive rate · ATO/reactivation trends
  • Time-to-decision · QA sampling results
  • SOP adherence · Escalation SLA compliance
  • Commission reconciliation variance reports
🛠️

Toolbox

  • Zendesk (fraud queue architecture)
  • Excel / Power Query (reconciliation)
  • QuickBooks (audit log forensics)
  • Kount · Sift · Riskified (familiar)
  • SQL basics · Looker Studio
  • OSINT tooling (continuing education)