What the F Happened? Fraud and Financial Crime, Deconstructed

In this Monthly Brief, we break down the most important fraud and financial crime developments from April 2026, including emerging threats, notable enforcement actions, and trends financial institutions should be paying attention to. This episode covers: The Mythos shift and the rise of autonomous AI systems capable of identifying vulnerabilities and executing multi-step fraud strategies FTC warni...

In this Analysis, we examine how online marketplaces act as early-warning laboratories for financial crime, drawing on two decades of industry experience to show why the tactics refined there inevitably migrate to banks and fintechs. This episode explores: The Economics of Abuse: Why the most effective defense is simply increasing attacker costs, forcing "lazy and cheap" fraudsters to sp...

In this Case File, we break down how multiple organizations across payments, travel, and financial services addressed large-scale coordinated fraud, ranging from from brute-force card attacks and synthetic identities to promotional abuse and B2B payment fraud, and, the approach they took using unsupervised machine learning, and the outcomes they achieved. You’ll learn: The hidden fraud patterns tr...

In this Analysis, we examine a critical question: if human trafficking operates through legitimate financial systems, how can financial institutions detect it before more harm is done? Drawing on real-world transaction patterns, AML insights, and emerging detection strategies, this episode unpacks the hidden financial infrastructure behind modern slavery. This episode explores: How traffickers exp...

In this Analysis, we examine why account takeover (ATO) in life insurance often goes undetected until after funds are withdrawn, and how modern AI-driven detection is shifting fraud prevention earlier in the attack chain. Drawing on emerging fraud patterns, digital servicing trends, and observations from financial crime teams, this discussion highlights why traditional transaction monitoring strug...

In this episode, we break down the biggest regulatory, technological, and operational shifts shaping fraud and AML in 2026. From open banking APIs and CFPB Rule 1033 to FinCEN’s beneficial ownership relief, risk-based OCC exams, and new Nacha monitoring expectations, institutions are being pushed toward a new reality: reactive compliance is no longer enough. The industry must move toward real-time...

In this webinar recap, we break down the key takeaways from DataVisor’s executive panel featuring Yinglian Xie, Brian Hughes of Affirm, Ted Josephson of Synchrony, and David Barnhardt of Datos Insights — and what their insights mean for fraud and AML teams heading into 2026 and 2027. From the AI paradox crippling defenders to the rise of "blue collar" fraud-as-a-service, this episode unp...

The ACH network is about to undergo one of its biggest shifts in decades, and many institutions aren’t fully prepared for what’s coming. In this episode, we break down the 2026 Nacha Operating Rules , what they actually require, and why they represent a fundamental change in how fraud risk must be managed across the payment lifecycle. Instead of focusing only on unauthorized transactions, institut...

In this Analysis, we examine why explainability, not just accuracy, has become the new standard for AI in fraud and AML, as regulators demand clear, defensible decision-making from financial institutions. This episode explores:  Why “the model said so” is no longer an acceptable answer under regulatory scrutiny The difference between transparency and true explainability—and why it matters in audit...

In this February Monthly Brief, we break down what Nacha’s latest guidance signals for fraud and compliance teams—and why proactive detection is quickly becoming the new baseline. From evolving ACH risk expectations to the rise of coordinated fraud and AI-enabled attacks, this episode explores what’s changing across the payments ecosystem and what financial institutions should be prioritizing righ...

In this episode of What the F Happened? Fraud and Financial Crime, Deconstructed , we go beneath the hype to examine the real plumbing of the future financial system: stablecoins. While Bitcoin grabs headlines, stablecoins now move over $300B globally — acting as the bridge between traditional banking and Web3. We break down what stablecoins actually are, why they’ve grown so fast, and how they’re...

Risk and compliance teams are often viewed as cost centers—but what if your fraud and AML infrastructure could become a growth engine? In this episode, we unpack how a leading payments processor transformed its internal risk stack into a scalable, revenue-generating product. Handling over 60 million transactions per month across 2,500+ clients, the organization replaced siloed legacy systems with...

Macroeconomic volatility, from regulatory shocks, to geopolitical fragmentation, and rising credit stress, is compressing margins, fast. In this episode, we break down why traditional, batch-based risk tools fail under volatility, and what a modern, flexible fraud and AML platform must deliver to operate at the speed of today’s financial system. You’ll learn  The 3 forces driving change The archit...

In this Monthly Brief, we break down the most important fraud and financial crime developments shaping early 2026 — and what they mean for financial institutions navigating new regulatory pressure, expanding attack surfaces, and rising expectations for real-time defense. This episode covers: Why fraud defense is entering a regulatory shift Nacha’s expanded ACH liability rules and sender-side accou...

Welcome to the fraud and financial crime podcast breaking down the real-world threats and defenses shaping today’s financial ecosystem to prepare you for what’s next.