Melissa Montanez
La Verne
Summary
Highly seasoned professional with 20 years of comprehensive experience in the banking industry, specializing in financial crimes. Demonstrates exceptional proficiency in SAR reporting, KYC, EDD, and fraud investigation. Adept at navigating BSA regulations, including KYC, CDD, EDD, and AML, with a proven track record in financial crime investigations and regulatory reporting. Possesses advanced oral and written communication skills, coupled with strong problem-solving abilities and a talent for fostering positive customer relations. Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with a typing speed of 65 words per minute and unparalleled accuracy. Recognized for exemplary leadership qualities, excelling both independently and as a collaborative team leader.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Fraud Investigations Manager
Frontwave Credit Union
04.2021 - Current
- Spearheaded operational functions of Fraud Department, ensuring peak efficiency and coordination.
- Provided hands-on supervision, reducing compliance incidents by 25%.
- Delivered comprehensive training sessions, boosting staff competency by 30% and cutting procedural errors by 20%.
- Analyzed reports, offering strategic insights to executive management.
- Implemented robust loss prevention programs, safeguarding against theft and fraud.
- Monitored alerts, swiftly responding to emerging threats.
- Facilitated recovery of losses, ensuring swift resolution.
- Led impartial criminal investigations, producing detailed reports.
- Maintained 100% compliance as custodian of records.
- Conducted thorough interviews, gathering crucial information.
Wire Fraud Specialist
City National Bank
07.2019 - 04.2021
- Proactively mitigated losses for City National Bank and its clientele by implementing robust measures, resulting in 25% reduction in wire fraudulent activity and saving $5 million in potential losses.
- Leverage proprietary and industry-leading tools to meticulously review and monitor transactions, swiftly identifying potential instances of fraud.
- Thrived in fast-paced environment, demonstrating exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills to effectively navigate complex challenges, resulting in 20% improvement in team productivity and efficiency.
- Exhibit discretion and precision in handling intricate or sensitive information, ensuring timely and tactful communication with customers and external stakeholders.
Police Dispatcher I
Upland Police Department
10.2018 - 06.2019
- Serve as primary point of contact, under general supervision, for receiving emergency and non-emergency calls pertaining to police, fire, and emergency medical services.
- Utilize advanced communication technologies, including computer-aided dispatch (CAD), multi-frequency radio transmitters/receivers, telephones, alarms, and other specialized equipment, to transmit critical information swiftly and accurately.
- Execute precise dispatching protocols, ensuring timely deployment of public safety personnel and equipment in strict accordance with established procedures.
- Adhere to prescribed protocols and guidelines while performing additional duties as assigned, contributing to seamless operation of emergency response systems.
- Consistently achieved average response time of under 3 minutes for emergency calls received, surpassing industry standard by 20%, by effectively utilizing advanced communication technologies and executing precise dispatching protocols.
Fraud Analyst II (CSU Hotline)
Bank of America
10.2015 - 10.2018
- Conduct thorough reviews of customer accounts to proactively prevent and detect potential instances of fraud.
- Utilize advanced research and analysis techniques to assess risk levels and identify various types of fraudulent activity within account transactions.
- Executed comprehensive inbound and outbound calls, achieving 95% resolution rate for transactional complexities and potential indicators of fraudulent behavior, thereby enhancing customer trust and loyalty.
Fraud Analyst II (ATM Deposit Detection)
Bank of America
01.2014 - 10.2015
- Conduct thorough reviews of potential fraudulent accounts to proactively prevent and detect transaction fraud and instances of identity theft.
- Promptly respond to transactional complexities and account changes indicating potential identity theft issues, taking decisive action in alignment with established protocols.
- Execute moderately complex research and analysis of account activity to evaluate risk levels and discern various types of fraudulent behavior.
- Engage in proactive customer phone contact to verify legitimate account usage and initiate appropriate corrective measures.
- Offered detailed review and analysis of risky or exceptional conditions, providing valuable insights that contributed to 30% reduction in fraud-related losses and strengthened institution's overall fraud prevention efforts.
Education
Associate of Arts - Criminal Justice
Chaffey College
Rancho Cucamonga, California06.2026
Skills
- Regulatory Compliance
- Data Analysis
- Fraud Detection Techniques
- Interviewing and Interrogation
- Report Writing
- Legal and Regulatory Knowledge
Accomplishments
Played a pivotal role in the fraud prevention efforts of Frontwave Credit Union, contributing to the prevention of $6.5 million in losses in 2023 through proactive assistance and collaborative efforts with the fraud investigation team.
Certification
Leadership Training Certificate, Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc., 05/06/2022
Certified Fraud Investigator Certificate, The California Financial Crimes Investigators Association, 9/21/21
John E. Reid & Associates, Investigative & Advanced Interrogation, 5/3/24
Affiliations
- CFCIA - California Financial Crimes Investigators Association, 2021, present
- IAFCI - International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, 2021, present
- Toastmasters International, 2024, present
Timeline
Fraud Investigations Manager
Frontwave Credit Union
04.2021 - Current
Wire Fraud Specialist
City National Bank
07.2019 - 04.2021
Police Dispatcher I
Upland Police Department
10.2018 - 06.2019
Fraud Analyst II (CSU Hotline)
Bank of America
10.2015 - 10.2018
Fraud Analyst II (ATM Deposit Detection)
Bank of America
01.2014 - 10.2015
Associate of Arts - Criminal Justice
Chaffey College
Similar Profiles
Aimee Velasquez BSN,RNAimee Velasquez BSN,RN
Bank Teller at Frontwave Credit UnionBank Teller at Frontwave Credit Union
Rupam JhaRupam Jha
Process Improvement Intern at Frontwave Credit UnionProcess Improvement Intern at Frontwave Credit Union
Tori FernandezTori Fernandez
Teller at Frontwave Credit UnionTeller at Frontwave Credit Union
Haylee ArguelloHaylee Arguello
Team Member at Shake ShackTeam Member at Shake Shack
KASSANDRA A VENTURAKASSANDRA A VENTURA
Customer Service Shift Supervisor at PLS Financial ServicesCustomer Service Shift Supervisor at PLS Financial Services