Fraud Forward

Hailey Windham
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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.

  1. 3 HR AGO

    It’s Always Day One: Rethinking Financial Crime in a Converged World w/ Ari Redbord

    Public-private partnerships are often touted as the ultimate solution to financial crime, yet they frequently stall at the level of white papers and boardroom discussions. In this episode of Fraud Forward, host Hailey Windham sits down with Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy and Government Affairs at TRM Labs, for a candid look at why moving from "cooperation" to "operational disruption" is the only way to protect the modern financial system. Ari and Hailey challenge the traditional siloed approach to banking and crypto investigations. They explore why "crypto crime" is a misnomer in a world where all crime is financial crime, how the transparency of the blockchain is revolutionizing real-time asset seizure, and why the most successful fraud fighters must embrace an "always Day One" mentality to stay ahead of AI-enabled threats. The Highlights:Beyond the Buzzword: Why Ari "hates" traditional public-private partnerships and prefers real-time disruption networks like the Beacon Network.The End of "Crypto Crime": Why every investigator will soon need to be a crypto investigator as blockchains become the rails for the global financial system.Day One Mentality: How staying "young, scrappy, and hungry" prevents the complacency that bad actors exploit.AI as the New Baseline: Why compliance professionals must lean into generative technology to combat the 500% increase in AI-enabled scams.Lessons from Both Sides: What crypto startups can learn from the robust governance of traditional FIs, and what banks can learn from the speed of blockchain intelligence. Guest Lineup:Ari Redbord: Global Head of Policy and Government Affairs at TRM Labs, former federal prosecutor, and Senior Advisor at the U.S. Treasury Department.Hailey Windham: Host of Fraud Forward.

    40 min
  2. KYC Isn’t Broken — We Just Keep Asking It to Do the Wrong Job (with Steve Lenderman)

    11 FEB

    KYC Isn’t Broken — We Just Keep Asking It to Do the Wrong Job (with Steve Lenderman)

    Know your customer (KYC) was never designed to be fraud control, yet fraud programs across the industry treat it like one. In this episode of Fraud Forward, host Hailey Windham sits down with Steve Lenderman, Head of Fraud Prevention at iSolve, for a necessary conversation about what KYC actually does, what it can't do, and why that distinction matters more than ever. Steve and Hailey challenge the assumption that passing KYC means an identity is safe to trust. They explore why every fraud eventually passes KYC, how synthetic identities exploit static verification, and what AI has revealed about the limitations of one-time checks. From the gap between identity existence and identity ownership to the behavioral signals that matter after onboarding, this episode reframes KYC as a starting point, not a solution. The highlights: Why every fraud eventually passes KYCThe gap between identity existence and identity ownershipBehavioral signals that matter after onboardingWhy AI didn't break KYC, rather how it just exposed what was already broken Guest lineup: Steve Lenderman: Head of Fraud Prevention at iSolveHailey Windham: Host of Fraud Forward and Community Banking Lead at Sardine

    43 min
  3. Agentic Commerce: The Fraud Hotbed No One’s Ready For (with Chen Zamir)

    4 FEB

    Agentic Commerce: The Fraud Hotbed No One’s Ready For (with Chen Zamir)

    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

    52 min
  4. Fraud Isn’t a Silo…It’s a Systems Problem (with Frank McKenna)

    28 JAN

    Fraud Isn’t a Silo…It’s a Systems Problem (with Frank McKenna)

    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

    1 hr
  5. Fraud at Machine Speed: What 2025 Taught Us About 2026

    21 JAN

    Fraud at Machine Speed: What 2025 Taught Us About 2026

    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.

    1h 17m

  6. 17/12/2025

    Leveling Up for Impact: My Big News and the Future of Banking on Fraudology

    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.

    10 min

  7. 12/12/2025

    Bonus Episode — Powered by Safeguard:Building Smarter, Not Harder: Using AI to Eliminate Fraud’s Busy Work with Ben Graf

    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/

    31 min

  8. 10/12/2025

    The Fraud Stories That Defined 2025 — And the Payment Shifts That Will Define 2026

    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...

    20 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Hailey Windham
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    90
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Hailey Windham
  • Show Website
    Fraud Forward

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