CHELSEA CONGEMA
Mooresville,NC
Summary
Dynamic Senior Financial Crimes Specialist with extensive experience at Varo Bank, excelling in regulatory compliance and investigative expertise. Proven track record in drafting audit-ready SARs and optimizing processes, while leading teams to enhance fraud detection. Skilled in SQL and strategic leadership, driving impactful results in high-stakes environments.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Financial Crimes Specialist
VARO BANK
Mooresville, NC
04.2024 - Current
- Led complex investigations in a lean risk organization, ensuring thorough ownership of the investigative lifecycle and effective resolution of financial crimes.
- Conduct deep-dive analysis of accounts exhibiting suspicious patterns, utilizing link analysis to uncover organized crime rings and multi-layered money laundering schemes.
- Draft and file detailed, audit-ready Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) that meet strict regulatory guidelines and provide actionable intelligence for law enforcement.
- Guided cross-functional teams on high-risk customers, identifying and analyzing trends deviating from standard EDD/KYC records to mitigate risks.
- Served as primary contact for federal and local agencies, preparing detailed evidence packages for subpoenas and proactive criminal referrals to support law enforcement efforts.
Fraud Analyst Team Lead
U.S. BANK
[City], [State]
06.2022 - 04.2024
- Provided procedural expertise and oversight for team of analysts investigating financial crimes, enhancing investigation quality.
- Reviewed and approved investigator case files and SAR recommendations to ensure 100% accuracy and regulatory compliance before submission.
- Identified gaps in internal fraud detection and collaborated with leadership to redesign workflows, reducing case handling time while improving investigative depth.
- Served as final escalation point for 'difficult-to-decision' cases involving wire fraud, check kiting, and sensitive internal referrals, ensuring thorough resolution.
- Collaborated with Legal and General Counsel to resolve complex fraud issues and high-risk regulatory matters, mitigating potential risks.
Senior Fraud Investigator
CONDUENT
[City], [State]
06.2018 - 04.2022
- Prevented significant financial loss through real-time intervention and freezing of compromised accounts.
- Verified customer identity and built profiles on high-risk entities using open-source data and search engines.
- Managed high-volume queue of suspicious activity alerts, meeting regulatory deadlines with zero backlog.
Education
Bachelor of Science (BS) - Finance
Western Governors University
Associate of Science (AS) - Criminal Justice
Liberty University
Skills
- Regulatory compliance
- USA PATRIOT Act and OFAC
- FinCEN SAR filing
- Customer due diligence
- Investigative expertise
- Money laundering typologies
- Terrorist financing detection
- SQL expertise
- Verafin and Thomson Reuters Clear
- Process Optimization
- Strategic Leadership
- Law Enforcement Referral Management
Personal Information
Title: Senior BSA/AML Investigator | Financial Crimes SME
Websites
Education Certification
- Bachelor of Science (BS), Finance, Western Governors University
- Associate of Science (AS), Criminal Justice, Liberty University, Evidence Collection, Criminal Law, Ethics in Criminal Justice
- Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Candidate (In-Progress)
Core Competencies
BSA/AML, USA PATRIOT Act, OFAC, FinCEN SAR Filing, CIP/KYC/EDD, Money Laundering Typologies, Terrorist Financing, Human Trafficking detection, Elder Financial Exploitation, Verafin (Advanced), Thomson Reuters Clear, SQL (Basic), Case Management Platforms, Mentorship, Quality Control (QC), Law Enforcement Referral Management, Process Optimization
Timeline
Senior Financial Crimes Specialist
VARO BANK
04.2024 - Current
Fraud Analyst Team Lead
U.S. BANK
06.2022 - 04.2024
Senior Fraud Investigator
CONDUENT
06.2018 - 04.2022
Bachelor of Science (BS) - Finance
Western Governors University
Associate of Science (AS) - Criminal Justice
Liberty University