[Hiring] Fraud Analyst @Happy Money

Role Description

The Fraud Analyst plays a critical operational and compliance role in detecting and disrupting fraudulent loan applications before they become losses. You will join a high-velocity team responsible for identifying and mitigating identity theft, synthetic fraud, first-party misrepresentation, and money laundering across our applicant funnel.

This role directly protects Happy Money and its lending partners from monetary and reputational harm. Your decisions influence approval quality on thousands of applications monthly, making your judgment one of the most consequential inputs to the company’s default rate and profitability. You’ll work closely with automated fraud detection systems alongside investigative tools to evaluate complex, high-risk applications.

This is not a checkbox role. It requires investigative instinct, sound judgment under pressure, and a genuine drive to stay one step ahead of increasingly sophisticated fraud typologies.

Responsibilities

• Independently review flagged loan applications identified by automated detection systems and manual underwriter referrals, applying discretion to evaluate complex, incomplete, or contradictory information across 40+ daily reviews.
• Maintain detailed fraud case documentation and tracking to support auditability and reporting.
• Perform comprehensive fraud investigations by analyzing income and identity documentation, integrating third-party identity verification data to validate applicant authenticity and detect potential risk signals.
• Monitor real-time application queues using investigative tools; make informed disposition decisions based on evolving fraud typologies and risk signals.
• Investigate high-risk applications by navigating multiple internal and external systems to cross-reference data, including customer behavior patterns, IP addresses, and geolocation data.
• Ensure timely, compliant resolution of high-risk applications in accordance with service level agreements, balancing efficiency with the need for distinct, thorough risk evaluation in each case.
• Conduct daily reviews of funding accounts to identify potential fraud, misrepresentation, or customer service concerns, and escalate urgent issues to management.
• Identify and interpret patterns indicative of organized fraud rings or synthetic identities; escalate to senior analysts or management with documented findings and procedural or system enhancement recommendations.
• Work on fraud-related projects as assigned by management.
• Demonstrate working knowledge of a broad regulatory framework including Reg E, Reg Z, FCRA, NACHA, OFAC, TCPA, and UCC, ensuring all fraud investigations and communications remain fully compliant.
• Support BSA/AML compliance obligations including recognition of potential money laundering indicators; assist with SAR filing processes where applicable and in coordination with Compliance.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of fraud detection logic by surfacing emerging typologies and operational gaps identified during case review.
• Actively work to reduce false positives and improve operational efficiency through procedural recommendations.
• Work alongside internal and BPO teams to achieve department goals.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of fraud experience in a financial institution, or equivalent experience in underwriting, KYC, or identity verification.
• Demonstrated ability to identify fraud patterns including synthetic identities, first-party misrepresentation, and account takeover.
• Exposure to organized fraud ring investigations or synthetic identity bust-out detection.
• Familiarity with BSA/AML concepts and red flag recognition.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; you can clearly document your rationale and escalate findings with precision.
• Proven ability to make sound decisions under time pressure with partial or ambiguous data.
• Superb attention to detail and a detective’s instinct for what doesn’t add up.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities across high-volume queues.
• Independent problem-solver who also thrives as a collaborative team member.
• Broad knowledge of fraud detection tools such as Oscilar, Lexis Nexis, TLO and financial services platforms.
• Background in financial services or consumer lending fraud environments.

Bonus Points For

• Cyber Fraud Experience
• ACFE certification (CFE) or equivalent fraud credential
• SAR filing experience
• Experience collaborating with BPOs

Benefits

• Generous medical, dental, and vision insurance options
• Eligible for Annual Bonus
• 401k Plan with a matching contribution
• Generous PTO including sick leave, vacation, volunteer, and more
• 12 Weeks Paid Parental Leave
• Company-paid short & long term disability and life insurance
• Monthly tech stipend to help cover expenses for remote work
• Happy Money is a 100% fully distributed workforce

Base Salary Range

$60,000 - $70,000 USD