Microsoft Office Suite
Stephen Acker
Fractional CCO | Risk & Compliance Consultant | AML & Fraud Prevention Strategist
Houston,TX
"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm, and harmony."
Thomas Merton
Summary
Fractional Executive | Fraud, AML & Risk Compliance Leader
I help financial institutions, fintech companies, e-commerce platforms, and regulatory agencies strengthen fraud prevention, compliance frameworks, and risk governance as a Fractional CCO & Compliance Consultant.
With 25+ years of experience in law enforcement, financial crimes, AML compliance, and corporate risk management, I specialize in:
✔ Fraud Prevention & Risk Reduction – Decreased synthetic identity fraud by 85% and credit card fraud by 98%.
✔ Regulatory Compliance & AML Strategy – Led BSA/FinCEN compliance programs, ensuring regulatory adherence and reducing fraud losses by 85%+.
✔ Financial Crime Investigations – Led $450M+ in illicit asset recoveries, influencing federal policy reform.
✔ Cross-Border Compliance & Global Risk – Developed AML strategies in U.S., Canada, UK, India, and Colombia.
✔ Technology & Process Optimization – Built KPI-driven fraud detection models, reducing unauthorized transactions by 98%.
🔹 Who I Work With:
CEOs & Founders needing compliance leadership without a full-time executive hire.
Financial institutions, fintech, and e-commerce platforms optimizing fraud prevention & AML programs.
Private equity & venture-backed firms ensuring compliance & risk governance for sustainable growth.
🔹 What I Deliver:
✅ Fraud & Compliance Strategy – Strengthening fraud detection, AML controls, and regulatory frameworks.
✅ Operational & Risk Optimization – Enhancing security, efficiency, and financial integrity.
✅ Incident Response & Financial Crime Investigations – Leading high-profile fraud recoveries.
✅ Cross-Border Compliance & AML Audits – Ensuring global regulatory alignment & risk mitigation.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
5
5
Certification
Work History
FRACTIONAL CCO | FRAUD & AML EXECUTIVE | RISK & CO
CAREER ADVISORS USA
12.2024 - Current
Financial Crimes | Risk & Regulatory Strategy | AML Compliance | Fraud Prevention
Fraud & compliance executive with 25+ years of experience leading financial crime investigations, regulatory compliance, and fraud risk mitigation for law enforcement, financial institutions, fintech, and e-commerce platforms. Proven expertise in anti-money laundering (AML), financial crimes, risk governance, and compliance frameworks that reduce fraud, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure regulatory alignment.
✅ Fraud Reduction & Risk Mitigation: Reduced credit card fraud by 98% and synthetic identity fraud by 85%.
✅ Regulatory Compliance: Led BSA/FinCEN compliance programs, reducing fraud losses by 85%+.
✅ High-Impact Investigations: Recovered $450M+ in illicit financial assets, influencing federal policy reform.
✅ Cross-Border Compliance: Developed AML & fraud prevention strategies across U.S., Canada, UK, India, and Colombia.
✅ Technology & Process Optimization: Designed KPI-driven fraud detection models, reducing unauthorized transactions by 98%.
• Advising C-suite & leadership teams on AML compliance, fraud mitigation, and risk management.
• Developing fraud prevention & regulatory frameworks, reducing financial crime exposure.
• Conducting risk assessments, compliance audits, and AML program evaluations.
• Implementing AI-driven fraud detection models & automation tools to enhance security.
Executive Director, Operations & Compliance
VeraVista
02.2022 - 11.2024
- Executive Director, Operations & Compliance
VeraVista | sxo5 · Full-time
Feb 2022 - Dec 2024 · 2 yrs 11
Houston, Texas, United States · Hybrid - (Led global risk & compliance operations, fraud prevention & AML governance.)
- Reduced synthetic identity fraud by 85% and credit card fraud by 98%.
- Implemented predictive fraud analytics, cutting unauthorized transactions by 98%.
- Developed & enforced AML, BSA, and regulatory compliance frameworks.
Skills: Fraud Management · Risk Assessment · Cross-functional Team Leadership · Financial crimes analysis · Key Performance Indicators
Senior Customer Service Representative Lead
Dicks Sporting Goods | Field and Stream Division
07.2021 - 02.2022
- Managed a team of customer service representatives, consistently achieving 90% plus performance reaching targets and goals.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction by efficiently resolving complex issues and providing timely solutions with a 4 and 5-star rating through personal attention.
- Boosted team spirit and performance by communicating clear service expectations and quality goals to each team member.
- Skills: Attention to Detail, Client Relations, Customer Experience, Strategy Implementation, Credit Cards, Dispute Resolution
Supervisor, Financial Crimes Division
Texas Office of the Attorney General
09.1999 - 03.2018
- Company Overview: Retired
- Directed fraud & financial investigations, resulting in $450M+ in recovered assets.
- Developed crime prevention strategies, leading to landmark federal policy reforms.
- Directed fraud & financial investigations, resulting in $450M+ in recovered assets.
- Developed crime prevention strategies, leading to landmark federal policy reforms.
Skills: Compliance Reporting · Fraud Prevention · • Financial crimes analysis
Education
BS - Criminal Justice/Computer Science
01.2014
GPA: 3.98
General Studies - Sociology
80 credits
Skills
- Community engagement
- Regulatory expertise
- Evidence analysis
- Incident command
- Leadership qualities
- Financial crimes analysis
- Interview techniques
- Operational efficiency
- Anti-money laundering
- Mission planning
- Ethics enforcement
- Investigative expertise
Certification
- CCCI 010412100 Certified Advanced Computer Crimes Investigator (High Tech Crime Consortium)
- CFA Certified Administrator FinCEN BSA (Financial Crime Enforcement Network)
- CIT Certified Crisis Intervention Train the Trainer (Houston Police Department)
- SCERS Certified Seized Computer Evidence Recovery Specialist (Federal LE Training Center)
- FFITP903 Certified Financial Fraud Investigator in Automated Environments (FLETC)
Accomplishments
- Led crisis resolution during large-scale investigations, ensuring operational success recovering $10M+ in illicit gains.
- Implemented a business stability framework in high profile financial investigations.
- Directed investigations recovering $450M in fraudulently obtained assets.
- Played a key role in a landmark case, leading to federal policy reform and recovering $35M in fraudulent funds.
- Established legal precedents in evidence retention, improving criminal prosecution processes.
Operation Skills
Experienced in developing, implementing, and optimizing operational strategies that drive efficiency, reduce risk, and enhance compliance. Skilled in designing and managing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Key Performance Objectives (KPOs), and Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) to measure performance, mitigate fraud, and ensure regulatory adherence.
- Process Optimization & Risk Management: Designed and executed operational frameworks that reduced fraudulent transactions by 98% and unauthorized activities by 52% across multiple jurisdictions.
- Strategic Compliance Leadership: Developed and enforced AML/BSA compliance policies, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and reducing synthetic identity fraud by 85%.
- Data-Driven Decision-Making: Leveraged predictive analytics and risk indicators from 23 high-risk countries to counter emerging fraud trends, resulting in proactive mitigation strategies.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnered with engineering, development, and marketing teams across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., India, and Colombia to drive security, compliance, and customer satisfaction improvements.
- Crisis Management & Investigations: Led large-scale financial crime investigations, recovering over $450M in fraudulently obtained assets and influencing federal policy reform.
- Technology & Automation: Proficient in fraud prevention tools (Zendesk, Stripe Radar, IP Secure, authID), case management platforms (Asana, Slack, Linear), and data analysis techniques to enhance operational efficiency.
- Training & Leadership Development: Designed training programs to upskill teams, improve investigative capabilities, and foster a culture of compliance, ethics, and performance excellence.
Affiliations
- HCCIA - Harris County Criminal Investigators Association
- Houston Investigators Association
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Software
Asana
Zendesk
Slack
Video Conferencing, Calendar Management
Snagit, X-Split, Google Docs, OneNote
Actimize, FICO TONBELLER, LexisNexis Risk Solutions
, Fraudnet, Kount, Stripe Radar, Sift, Sanction Scanner
Interests
Where money meets Fraud
Timeline
FRACTIONAL CCO | FRAUD & AML EXECUTIVE | RISK & CO - CAREER ADVISORS USA
12.2024 - Current
Executive Director, Operations & Compliance - VeraVista
02.2022 - 11.2024
Senior Customer Service Representative Lead - Dicks Sporting Goods | Field and Stream Division
07.2021 - 02.2022
Supervisor, Financial Crimes Division - Texas Office of the Attorney General
09.1999 - 03.2018
Brazosport Junior College - General Studies, Sociology
American Intercontinental University - BS, Criminal Justice/Computer Science
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