Steve Ozan, CFE

Ozan is the global fraud prevention project manager at Discover Financial Services. He facilitates conversations between internal and/or external customers about credit card fraud issues, provides information on best practices and implements fraud mitigation tools.

Sports taught me the confidence, determination and patience to see through difficult tasks and issues, whether it be on the playing field or out in the field during an investigation.

My grandparents told me about the IRS capturing Al Capone for tax evasion and how previously he had gotten away with everything else. I knew that white-collar crime investigations and fraud prevention were only going to grow more dynamic with the expanded implementation of RICO, the increased use of debit and credit cards and the Internet’s influx of electronic commerce. There is always something new to learn and apply, and because of these factors my role will never become commonplace.

The University of Cincinnati has one of the top criminal justice programs in the country. I took a class to learn more about the subject, and within a week I had changed my major.

I served as a peace officer at a small liberal arts college just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. Working on foot patrol in a university setting, the most valuable skill set you must learn, and learn quickly, is how to operate within a variety of situations that no one ever contemplates when they take the oath to become a police officer. Every cadet contemplates what their first arrest will be like, but, as far as I know, no cadet ever contemplates what it’s like to catalogue biology books at the student bookstore. 

The fraudsters were stealing high-value textbooks in one college’s bookstore and then selling them to another school bookstore. By cataloguing the books, my department created a tracking system that both monitored the targeted books in a more precise manner and allowed us to arrest the perpetrators.

While working as a card fraud investigator at a bank in Cincinnati, an employee of a large university on the West coast who contacted me was concerned about multiple credit cards being delivered to the same residence hall. He provided me the address of these cards, and I began to investigate, eventually determining that there were 25 different octogenarians with my bank’s credit cards all residing in the same dorm room. I proceeded to track them down, discovering that they lived at a nearby retirement home. I contacted local authorities and the Secret Service, leading to the arrest of a student who was moonlighting as an orderly in the retirement home. This fraudster was taking the credit cards and sending cash advances to a contact in Montreal, Quebec, who was then sending the money overseas.

I was fortunate enough to come across the retirement-home case early on in my fraud-fighting career because the lessons I learned from it have provided me the confidence and abilities I use now on a daily basis. I learned that tipsters can come from anywhere, at any time and from the most unlikely of sources. The same person who called me had reached out to other banks, and their employees never verified what he was saying. If you’re given information that is potentially caustic to your company (or your client) it is imperative as an investigator you find out if it’s an issue or not. It took me less than five minutes to verify the original information provided, and it saved the bank I was working for at least $150,000. I also learned that there are difficulties pursuing white-collar criminal activity over multiple jurisdictions. The Secret Service was able to arrest the college student fraudster. The Canadian authorities also arrested the fraudster’s contact in Montreal; however, he was released without having to post bail and never showed up for trial. The potential to hunt down every piece of the fraud web grows more complex as layers of insulation between the person committing the fraud and the person receiving the profits are in place.

I was seeking out the greatest opportunity to develop my knowledge base and differentiate myself from my peers. When I weighed my options, there was an opportunity to either learn about one piece of the puzzle or pursue the CFE accreditation and understand all the pieces of the puzzle, including how to put it all together.

When the CFE Test Preparation package arrived in the mail, I must admit that it looked daunting.

If you join the ACFE, pass the test and lay dormant as a member, the benefits begin and end with the initials after your name, but if you embrace the association fully there is so much more out there for you.

There are three things that I think are imperative to anyone starting out in the fraud-fighting field:  

• Develop. If you’re truly interested in fighting fraud you should always be learning, growing and developing your skill set. Fraudsters are always adjusting their approach to how to steal everything they can get their hands on, so it is imperative we pursue them with the same tenacity.  
• Network. Even if you are able to learn all you can you will need the support and assistance of others in our field. Fraudsters don’t work in silos; neither should we.  
• Stand Out. Pursue certifications, like the CFE, which will provide you the resources, networking and development that will assist you on your career and allow you to differentiate yourself from others in the field.  

Cora Bullock is assistant editor of Fraud Magazine.

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