Erin R. Ellebracht, PsyD, CFE

Winner of the 2024 Outstanding Achievement in Outreach and Community Service Award, Erin R. Ellebracht, PsyD, CFE, actively volunteers with the elderly in her community and strives to increase awareness about elder fraud. She values insights from varying perspectives as she works to improve fraud prevention and detection processes in the fight against fraud.

I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. I earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminology and now live in Colorado, where I work in financial crimes at the United Services Automobile Association (USAA).

My favorite activities growing up included dance, theater, volleyball, and track and field. Initially, I wanted to be a veterinarian, but when I realized medically treating animals comes with its hardships, like losing an animal, I focused on preventing financial crimes and being the best pet parent possible.

I support remediation efforts related to my financial institution’s fraud prevention and detection processes. I’ve held several roles in financial crime prevention and have most recently investigated first-party fraud, elder fraud and various scams.

Mitigation and education are key steps in my procedure when I identify fraud. Through mitigation I ensure that the person being victimized by the fraud is protected. Once this happens, educating them on what happened and why goes a long way in preventing future fraud victimization.

In college I became deeply interested in understanding why crime is committed and focused on learning about detection and prevention. Through an elder fraud task force I was part of at my financial institution, I realized the detrimental impact elder fraud has on one of the largest segments of our community and wanted to do all I could to help.

One of the most important skills I’ve learned in investigations is to rely on the data. Data will always tell a story, and you need to look at it from all angles to understand the truth it’s telling you. I’ve also learned to listen to experts. They’ve seen more than their share of different schemes and outcomes and are a vital resource in any investigation.

A case I worked on recently involved someone who listed an elderly family member on a loan they never intended to pay back. I felt bad for the victim because they didn’t know they’d been added to the loan at first and wouldn’t say whether they’d authorized it. I think they felt guilty about what would happen to the family member if they accused them of fraud.

After the family member skipped several monthly payments, the victim ended up paying the loan for them. It was a horrible situation and a reminder that those closest to us could be the ones trying to take advantage of our personal information.

I first heard about the ACFE when I joined the fraud prevention team at my company, USAA, almost two decades ago. I wanted to gain my CFE credential to be better prepared in detecting and preventing fraud in my professional life and show my expertise in the field. The CFE credential has benefited my career and fraud investigations by providing me with a stronger foundation in financial crimes.

My advice for those starting out in the fraud-fighting field is never give up, strive for progress over perfection and seek knowledge from varying places. It can be tough fighting fraud because it never ends, but when I think about the task at hand and how it will positively impact the person who’s been victimized, I’m able to keep going.

Through mitigation I ensure that the person being victimized by the fraud is protected. Once this happens, educating them on what happened and why goes a long way in preventing future fraud victimization.

Striving for progress over perfection comes from the realization that fraud is messy. It’s not always straightforward, which is why progress might not look neat and tidy. Lastly, as the saying goes, knowledge is power — power to positively impact your work and those around you. Limiting sources of knowledge can be detrimental, so we should look for knowledge from different perspectives and backgrounds to enhance our worldview and be better prepared to fight fraud.

Throughout my professional and educational journeys, the motto “Education and awareness are key” has held true. I completed my doctoral degree in psychology with a concentration in criminology and justice studies by researching the preparedness of mandatory reporters of elder fraud. My doctoral research showed that educating people about elder fraud and increasing awareness about this crime is one of the most effective measures toward prevention.

I’m proud of the volunteer work I do with the elderly and the time I devote to my love of cats and other animals. Professionally, I’m immensely proud of having achieved my highest level of education, a doctorate. It took me five years to complete while working at the same time, and I’m incredibly grateful that I was able to accomplish this.

Outside of work I enjoy standup paddleboarding, working on animal welfare efforts and delivering Meals on Wheels to seniors in my community. I also continue my love for the arts by dancing ballet at my local community cultural center and playing the cello.

Anna Brahce is the editorial assistant of Fraud Magazine. Contact her at ABrahce@ACFE.com.