Fraud Analyst

Computers, software, the internet—today’s technology organizes mass quantities of information, processes purchases at record speed, and vastly reduces the amount of paper-pushing a business endures. But, with the technological advances comes the risk of fraud. For businesses and individuals alike, protection against identity theft and fraudulent behavior is a high priority.

A Fraud Analyst evaluates current programs, computer systems, databases, security software, and other elements susceptible to hacking. As a Fraud Analyst, you analyze the system with your vast knowledge, looking for weaknesses. Missed updates, programs with easy to crack firewalls, and policies that allow too much unmonitored access are all risky propositions that a Fraud Analyst identifies and eliminates.

Of course, you’re computer savvy, but you’re also highly analytical. You’re a master at recognizing when a system has had an intrusion. With luck, you can even track the intrusion back to an individual and press charges.

Fraud is common within the credit card and banking industries, so this is a common field for job opportunities. By evaluating transaction histories, you’re able to identify suspicious charges. Perhaps a charge was made outside the owner’s home country, was made for a large amount, or just didn’t fit the customer’s profile in the subtlest way.

Whatever the situation, the business that hired you, the customer, and any investors are lucky that you are on the job. With your attention to detail and rabid fraud-detection radar, customers can continue to bank, pay bills, and do their shopping online.