James Lucas
Pittsburgh,PA
Summary
Financial crimes and compliance professional with 11+ years across banking, fintech and cryptocurrency. Certified CAMS & CFE with working knowledge of PCI DSS, transaction monitoring, vulnerability management (Qualys), and internal control testing. Experienced bridging AML operations with cybersecurity, ensuring data protection, PCI DSS adherence, and audit-ready documentation. Reduced QA rework by 22%, improved SAR accuracy and contributed to safeguarding over $5M in suspicious activity cases.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
2
2
Certification
Work History
Senior Fraud Investigator (Consultant for USAA)
PwC
03.2025 - 05.2025
- Led complex fraud investigations for USAA through PwC’s Managed Services engagement, focusing on card, ACH, and digital payment fraud.
- Conducted root-cause analysis of high-impact incidents, uncovering systemic vulnerabilities and improving case-handling processes.
- Collaborated with USAA’s Fraud Strategy and QA leadership to enhance alert tuning and optimize decision accuracy.
- Utilized SQL and Excel analytics to identify transaction anomalies and develop actionable insights for risk reduction.
- Mentored junior investigators on investigative methodology, documentation standards, and fraud typology recognition.
Senior Financial Crimes Analyst
Madison Davis / Coinbase
12.2024 - 02.2025
- Conducted fraud and AML investigations for Coinbase through Madison Davis’ consulting engagement, focusing on crypto and fiat transaction tracing.
- Leveraged Chainalysis and TRM Labs to identify mule networks and illicit wallet linkages.
Senior QA & Financial Crimes Analyst (Consultant for Barclays Bank)
PwC
03.2022 - 08.2023
- Directed QA reviews for Barclays’ Fraud and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), validating investigative accuracy and case documentation quality.
- Created QA performance metrics and led calibration sessions that improved accuracy by 22%.
- Partnered with compliance leadership to refine investigation SOPs and enhance audit readiness.
AML/KYC Analyst
Kraken Digital Asset Exchange
08.2018 - 03.2022
- Conducted crypto-fraud and KYC investigations using Chainalysis and TRM Labs.
- Led risk analysis projects to identify fraud rings, synthetic ID activity, and market abuse patterns.
- Worked with data and engineering teams to enhance fraud detection algorithms, reducing false positives by 30%.
- Hybrid
Enhanced Due Diligence Analyst
Truist Bank
01.2017 - 07.2018
- Performed EDD reviews on high-risk clients, verifying ownership, transaction activity, and exposure to fraud typologies.
- Contributed to process redesigns that strengthened customer segmentation and investigative consistency.
AML Investigator
Bank of Texas
09.2014 - 11.2016
- Investigated suspicious transactions for structuring and fraud indicators within commercial portfolios.
- Filed SARs and provided fraud typology analyses to senior management and regulators.
Fraud Investigator
Apex Systems
12.2013 - 08.2014
- Investigated debit card, ACH, and check fraud for a national financial institution.
- Developed case summaries and collaborated with law enforcement on high-value investigations.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Economics
Novena University
01-2012
Skills
- SQL, Excel (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP), Chainalysis, TRM Labs, Actimize, Verafin, Power BI, World-Check, LexisNexis, Dow Jones Watchlist
- BSA/AML Investigations Quality Assurance Leadership SAR Preparation & Review EDD/CDD Oversight Sanctions & PEP Screening
- Transaction Monitoring Coaching & Team Mentorship Regulatory Compliance (FinCEN/OFAC/FATF) Performance Metrics & SLA Management
- Root-Cause Analysis Actimize Verafin QA Process Design
Certification
- CFE - Certified Fraud Examiner
- CAMS - Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialist
Timeline
Senior Fraud Investigator (Consultant for USAA)
PwC
03.2025 - 05.2025
Senior Financial Crimes Analyst
Madison Davis / Coinbase
12.2024 - 02.2025
Senior QA & Financial Crimes Analyst (Consultant for Barclays Bank)
PwC
03.2022 - 08.2023
AML/KYC Analyst
Kraken Digital Asset Exchange
08.2018 - 03.2022
Enhanced Due Diligence Analyst
Truist Bank
01.2017 - 07.2018
AML Investigator
Bank of Texas
09.2014 - 11.2016
Fraud Investigator
Apex Systems
12.2013 - 08.2014
Bachelor of Science - Economics
Novena University
Core Leadership Competencies
Fraud Investigation & Mitigation, Transaction & Behavioral Analytics, Risk Strategy Design, Quality Assurance Leadership, Team Coaching & Development, SQL & Data Reporting, Chargeback & Payment Risk, Card & ACH Fraud, Root-Cause Analysis, FinTech & Digital Asset Risk, Cross-Functional Leadership
Career Highlights
- Directed fraud QA and investigation teams for PwC, Barclays, and USAA — achieving 99% case accuracy.
- Reduced fraud loss exposure by 18–30% through data-driven strategy tuning and risk scoring.
- Mentored 10+ analysts to promotion-level performance through coaching and QA calibration.
- Partnered with fintech and crypto platforms to embed fraud prevention frameworks within customer onboarding and transaction systems.