Gerardo J. Mendoza
San Antonio
Summary
Seasoned financial services professional with 24 years of experience in the financial services industry, specializing in financial fraud investigations, root cause analysis, and risk mitigation. Expert in identifying and resolving customer escalations, uncovering fraud schemes, and implementing strategic investigative protocols. Skilled in safeguarding sensitive data, ensuring regulatory compliance, and collaborating across departments to protect member financial security. Known for clear communication, intuitive problem-solving, and a commitment to professional objectivity in achieving optimal outcomes.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Fraud Investigator II
USAA
11.2024 - 08.2025
- Conducts a combination of complex fraud investigations of suspected or known criminal activity, which includes a combination of cases of less severity and mid-level severity, cases with combination of less member(s) and multiple members profile(s), accounts, and transactions, or combination of several fraud type(s).
- Reviews monetary and non-monetary fraud transactions, conducts interviews, and analyzes transaction data to detect fraudulent or unusual patterns and trends in support of the investigative process.
- Performs thorough analysis of evidence; assesses veracity of information compiled, to include documentary materials and results of interviews, to develop investigative conclusions.
- Uses knowledge of the Bank Secrecy Act, USA Patriot Act, applicable laws and regulations, company policies and best practices in the investigative field to organize investigative results.
- Collects evidence of potential fraud through field or remote interviews and thorough searches of investigative databases, internal resources, Internet resources, public records, and forensic tools.
- Prepares and presents detailed and comprehensive verbal and written investigative reports summarizing the results of the investigation and recommended outcome.
- Serves as a resource team member on specific matters through demonstrated skill or training, coaching, and providing feedback to others.
- Assists with the delivery of fraud awareness training initiatives in a defined environment.
- Prepares cases for criminal prosecution, acquires, and preserves evidence, and presents evidence to appropriate law enforcement agencies for prosecution.
- Provide testimony to the grand jury and trial courts and file regulatory reports as necessary.
- Identifies and partners with tenured Investigators to resolve issues; identifies appropriate issues for customer concern such as fraudulent trends, vulnerabilities causing increased fraudulent activity and/or larger than normal losses.
- Serves as a liaison with law enforcement agencies and other institutions to ensure USAA is advised of all relevant potential risks.
- Ensures risks associated with business activities are optimally identified, measured, supervised, and controlled in accordance with risk and compliance policies and procedures.
- Utilizes deep product and system knowledge within USAA’s Bank to conduct investigations.
- Work with APS and Law Enforcement to resolve cases and provide vital information to assist with reporting unauthorized activity and/or behavior.
- Identifies and resolves issues; identifies appropriate issues for escalation such as fraudulent trends, vulnerabilities causing increased fraudulent activity and/or larger than normal losses.
- Effectively initiates contact with members to review suspicious activity; and if necessary, take appropriate actions to mitigate the risk and protect the member's assets.
- Organize and prioritize workload, performing multiple tasks and devising solutions to problems.
- Gather broad range of evidence and draw conclusions based on the objective details related to the applicability of fraud.
- Conduct investigative interviews via phone and email with customers and provide support to fraud victims.
- Exhibits high level of professionalism during presentations and interactions with executive leadership.
Bank Sales and Service Contact Center Representative I (ATO)
USAA
10.2017 - 11.2024
- Identify and resolve issues while escalating issues that are identified as fraudulent trends and increased vulnerabilities.
- Reviews monetary and non-monetary fraud transaction data to detect fraudulent or unusual patterns and trends in support of the investigative process.
- Effectively utilizes appropriate tools and procedures to report confirmed fraud and associated trends and occasionally participates in working sessions with the strategy team to enhance existing alerts.
- Analyze monetary and non-monetary fraud transactions to detect fraudulent patterns to support investigative process while reviewing and investigating allegations.
- Perform appropriate actions to mitigate the risk and protect the member's assets while also ensuring risks associated with business activity is identified, measured, monitored, and controlled.
- Possesses multi product, system, and/or process knowledge and effectively uses it to prevent, detect and mitigate fraudulent activity across multiple products and services.
- Assists with researching and providing detailed analysis in a timely manner to the appropriate area in the appropriate format.
- Experience obtaining statements from various parties to incidents, witnesses, and suspects.
- Develop technical procedures and training.
- Possesses extensive knowledge of the business, its products, and processes and actively provides improvement opportunities and recommended solutions to improve the effectiveness or efficiency of fraud prevention and detection.
- Advanced knowledge of providing input to policies and programs (as a MSR Lab rep for the ATO team), I coordinate with enterprise to help improve, prevent, detect, identify, resolve, and embrace changes to improve processes and procedures, identifies and manages existing and emerging risks that stem from business activities and the job roles.
- Advance knowledge of REG CC, REG E, or REG Z Certificates and Designations Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) preferred fraudulent activities for a wide range of enterprise financial products and services.
- Advanced knowledge of BSA, AML, USA Patriot Act, OFAC, and/or other AML regulatory policies.
Real Estate Lead Acquisitions/Mortgage Loan Officer II
USAA
06.2012 - 10.2017
- Assisted customer base with finance inquiries for VA mortgage loans for both purchase and refinancing.
- Delivering impactful customer service to members and providing mortgage product solutions that facilitate their financial security.
- Facilitating mortgage product sales and member service through multiple channels, including phone, email, mail, and digital platforms.
- Providing individualized mortgage loan recommendations and meeting established monthly metrics.
- Deepening member relationships through needs assessment and solution offerings from USAA products and services.
- Staying updated on compliance and regulatory requirements to ensure risks associated with business activities are effectively measured, monitored, and controlled.
- Establishing and maintaining successful partnerships with Real Estate Agents.
- Responding to member and third-party phone calls to keep appropriate parties informed of loan status.
- Partnering closely with Processors, Underwriters, and Closers to deliver on the mortgage products within a specified period of time.
Education
Associate of Arts - Organizational Communication
San Antonio Community College
San Angelo, TX05-2004
High School Diploma -
J.W. Nixon High School
Laredo, TX05-2001
Skills
- Financial fraud
- Partnering and relationships
- Anti-money laundering
- Fraud prevention
- Credit card fraud
- Report filing
- Fraud detection
- Transaction review
- Activity monitoring
- Trend analysis
- AML compliance
- Fraud identification
- Fraud patterns
- Teamwork and collaboration
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Fraud Investigator II
USAA
11.2024 - 08.2025
Bank Sales and Service Contact Center Representative I (ATO)
USAA
10.2017 - 11.2024
Real Estate Lead Acquisitions/Mortgage Loan Officer II
USAA
06.2012 - 10.2017
Associate of Arts - Organizational Communication
San Antonio Community College
High School Diploma -
J.W. Nixon High School