Card Fraud Strategy & Investigations Specialist

First Merchants Corporation; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base Pay PLUS Bonuses

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

401k

Health Savings and Flexible Spending

Vacation/Sick Time

Paid Holidays

Paid Parental Leave

Tuition Reimbursement Additional Benef

Job summary

First Merchants Bank is seeking a Bank Protection Card Fraud Strategy Specialist to lead the prevention, detection, investigation, and mitigation of debit card fraud across the organization. This role acts as the SME for card fraud strategy execution, elevated dispute research, investigations, and fraud prevention technologies.

The position collaborates with vendors and internal partners to reduce fraud losses, improve customer experience, and support fraud incident response and strategy

Qualifications

• One to three years of card fraud experience.
• Experience working with debit card fraud investigations and/or fraud detection systems.
• Experience analyzing transaction activity and fraud trends.

Responsibilities

• Monitor card fraud trends, attack patterns, fraud losses, and emerging threats to recommend mitigation strategies.
• Maintain and optimize debit card fraud detection rules, thresholds, and monitoring processes in partnership with FIS and other service providers.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen fraud controls while balancing client experience and operational efficiency.
• Analyze fraud metrics and performance data to support strategy recommendations and loss reduction initiatives.
• Participate in the development, testing, and implementation of fraud prevention strategies and system enhancements.
• Support fraud incident response activities involving card compromise events, account takeover activity, and emerging fraud threats.
• Investigate elevated debit card fraud claims and disputes to determine validity and ensure compliance with applicable regulations and network requirements.
• Review fraud alerts, transaction activity, and account behavior to identify suspicious activity and potential fraud losses.
• Conduct customer interviews and gather evidence related to fraudulent transactions.
• Document investigations within case management systems and maintain complete case records.
• Provide clear and concise case narratives, recommendations, and resolution documentation.
• Partner with Fraud Investigations, Card Dispute Operations, and other risk teams on complex fraud cases.
• Assist customers and bank personnel with questions regarding card fraud, disputes, and fraud prevention.
• Serve as an administrator and subject matter expert for card fraud prevention and authentication tools.
• Utilize MDES to support mobile wallet fraud prevention, tokenization controls, digital wallet monitoring, and step-up authentication processes.
• Utilize VCAS/Cardinal and 3DS technologies to support e-commerce fraud investigations and authentication reviews.
• Leverage information obtained from authentication platforms, including device and transaction intelligence, to support fraud investigations when available.
• Utilize Mastercom and related dispute management platforms to support dispute resolution efforts and determine financial responsibility.
• Collaborate with FIS, Mastercard, Visa, and other vendors regarding fraud controls, product enhancements, fraud events, and strategy recommendations.
• Participate in vendor meetings, product reviews, implementation projects, and ongoing fraud solution enhancements.
• Partner with Consumer Banking, Deposit Operations, Card Services, Compliance, Risk Management, and Bank Protection teams to improve card fraud prevention efforts.
• Assist with fraud awareness initiatives, procedural development, and employee training.
• Provide recommendations to leadership regarding card fraud trends, strategic initiatives, and technology investments.
• Support audits, examinations, and regulatory reviews related to fraud operations and card dispute management.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

FIS card fraud platforms

MDES

VCAS/Cardinal

3DS

Mastercom

Job description

First Merchants Bank is seeking a Bank Protection Card Fraud Strategy Specialist to lead the prevention, detection, investigation, and mitigation of debit card fraud across the organization. This role acts as the SME for card fraud strategy execution, elevated dispute research, investigations, and fraud prevention technologies.

The position collaborates with vendors and internal partners to reduce fraud losses, improve customer experience, and support fraud incident response and strategy