Happy Valdez
San Antonio,TX
Summary
Operational risk and fraud professional with 19+ years at Citi spanning fraud servicing, escalations, disputes, and Financial Crimes Investigations (Elder Abuse). Known for calm, high-judgment decisioning in complex scenarios—balancing loss prevention, regulatory expectations, and client experience. Strong track record partnering with Policy, Operations, and cross-functional stakeholders to tighten controls, streamline workflows, train teams, and resolve escalations with speed and clarity.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Assoc Fraud Ops Analyst (Team Lead / Investigator)
Citibank, NA
San Antonio, TX
10.2022 - Current
- Lead end-to-end Elder Abuse investigations, using Citi systems and documented evidence to protect clients and reduce financial harm.
- Coordinate wellness checks and time-sensitive escalations with Adult Protective Services and law enforcement across the U.S., ensuring clear documentation and appropriate handoffs.
- Partner with external financial institutions to disrupt money mule activity and first-party fraud, aligning actions to risk appetite and client protection priorities.
- Execute wire recall activity (Stars) and interbank outreach to recover funds and contain downstream exposure for both clients and the firm.
- Serve as a strong connector between Policy and Operations, helping implement updated procedures and ensuring frontline execution matches intent—not just what’s written.
- Design and deliver training for Investigator/Specialist roles; reinforce quality, judgment, and consistent decisioning across the team.
- Provide oversight support to the Specialty Elder Abuse Referral workflow to keep processes consistent, compliant, and audit-ready.
Intmd Assoc Fraud Ops Analyst Officer, IRT
Citibank, NA
San Antonio, TX
09.2021 - 10.2022
- Acted as single-point resolution for branch fraud inquiries (phone/IM/email), moving complex cases to closure while protecting client experience.
- Partnered with Private Bankers and Relationship Managers on escalated, high-sensitivity account situations—translating risk decisions into clear next steps.
- Reviewed high-risk money movement across digital/mobile channels to identify and mitigate first-party fraud patterns.
- Validated incoming credits for authenticity and ownership; supported account restrictions/closures when activity indicated abuse or elevated risk.
- Drove process improvements as an SME: refreshed 5+ HUB cards to strengthen consistency and reduce operational friction.
- Submitted six actionable Transformation Station ideas, with two implemented, improving efficiency, reducing risk, and smoothing client outcomes.
- Worked directly with Policy partners to streamline procedure rollouts and ensure teams could execute quickly without rework.
Dispute Resolution Team Analyst (DRT)
Citibank, NA
San Antonio, TX
02.2020 - 09.2021
- Investigated fraud claims with urgency and precision to reduce Regulatory E failures, losses, and repeat client harm.
- Conducted investigative analysis to identify fraud methods/motives and support defensible claim outcomes.
- Supported high-dollar claim work with the Major Incident Unit ahead of full functional transition.
- Managed chargebacks and rebilling actions for denied claims; ensured accurate financial reconciliation and timely credits when warranted.
- Coordinated escalations with Executive Response and Legal on complex matters requiring careful language, documentation, and risk controls.
- Served as primary contact for COBB and Regression system testing, helping surface defects early and reduce operational risk from system change.
- Trained and onboarded new hires as SME support, reinforcing quality standards and consistent decisioning.
Fraud Escalation Supervisor (FSU)
Citibank, NA
San Antonio, TX
03.2013 - 02.2020
- Decisioned fraud alerts and escalations using EFD/FICO and investigative tools, focusing on minimizing account takeover risk and client disruption.
- Executed fraud investigations in accordance with federal guidelines using RSM and Pega, maintaining clean documentation and consistent outcomes.
- Supported regression testing responsibilities for FSU/ATO functions, contributing to stable releases and reduced production issues.
- Built and implemented mail-handling procedures (interoffice/USPS) for Fraud Servicing Units—improving operational flow and reducing missed/late items.
- Provided coaching and SME guidance to new hires and tenured staff; strengthened confidence and consistency under high-volume conditions.
Skills
- Operational Risk & Controls
- Fraud Lifecycle (Detect–Investigate–Resolve)
- Issues / Escalation Management
- Policy & Procedure Implementation
- Process Improvement & Waste Reduction
- Client Experience Risk Mitigation
- KPI / Quality Oversight & Trend Findings
- Cross-Functional Stakeholder Partnership
- Training & Coaching
- Vendor/External Partner Coordination
- Governance-Ready Documentation
- High-Risk Money Movement Review
- Platforms/Tools: Pega, RSM, EFD/FICO, Stars (wire recalls), Citi investigation systems, LMS, COBB/Regression testing tools
SELECTED IMPACT
- Emerging trend awareness: Identified fraud patterns through frontline exposure and cross-team collaboration; translated insights into process fixes and clearer guidance.
- Controls & governance: Strengthened procedure execution through HUB card updates, training, and disciplined documentation.
- Policy partnership / SME support: Helped Policy teams roll out new procedures that teams could actually use—reducing confusion, rework, and inconsistent decisions.
- Issue & escalation management: Trusted escalation point across fraud servicing and investigations; resolves sensitive cases with speed, judgment, and transparency.
- Client experience with risk discipline: Protects clients while keeping friction proportional—tight when needed, smooth when possible.
Timeline
Assoc Fraud Ops Analyst (Team Lead / Investigator)
Citibank, NA
10.2022 - Current
Intmd Assoc Fraud Ops Analyst Officer, IRT
Citibank, NA
09.2021 - 10.2022
Dispute Resolution Team Analyst (DRT)
Citibank, NA
02.2020 - 09.2021
Fraud Escalation Supervisor (FSU)
Citibank, NA
03.2013 - 02.2020