Liz Lasher

Did you know that a pickup truck can easily cost $72,000? That’s as much as many Mercedes-Benz models! But for criminals, working individually or in fraud rings, these vehicles (or any vehicle, for that matter), present an attractive opportunity: finance the vehicle, sell it illicitly, and pocket the cash. An estimated 10% to 15% of auto finance companies’ bad debt bo…

COVID-19 scams are on the rise. In a recent webinar I hosted, we learned that 31% of participants had received a communication that looks like a COVID-19 scam in the past 30 days. While we’ve seen it take some unexpected turns, like the surge of pet adoption scams, where criminals prey on the desire to adopt a furry friend while under quarantine, there are other ki…

Did you know that today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day? In addition to being a  passionate defender in the fight against child identity fraud, I am also an ardent supporter of elders’ financial well-being. With this year’s theme of “Access to Justice: Legal, Social and Economic Services for Older Victims of Sexual, Physical and Financial Crimes,” a…

As a fraud professional, I am passionate about fighting financial crime — yet, at the same time, I tout the importance of balancing security with the customer experience. It came as a big shock, then, when I found myself in the middle of a fraud investigation — by my own wireless provider! (My former wireless provider, I will add.) The good news? The frustrating tr…

With my binge watching at an all-time high, I realized I need a detox from not just movies and shows, but electronics in general. As it turns out, I am not alone. I recently polled my colleagues for a recommended reading list, and there were almost too many options to choose from.  If you’re also searching for a break from devices, you may enjoy these reads th…

Across the globe, binge-watching is at an all-time high with movies and shows providing a slight, welcome distraction. By now, you may have made your way through your bucket list, the latest blockbusters and possibly a few outrageous reality shows, aka Tiger King. But now what should you watch? Well, for those of you as obsessed with fraud and financial crime as me…

Thinking long-term while in the midst of a crisis is a challenging exercise. As fraud practitioners, it’s easy to see the immediate impact on our lives – from reduced operational capacity, to the proliferation of COVID19 scams, to the need to modify our strategies as consumer spending habits have suddenly shifted. However, it’s critical that we also take the time t…

In the past weeks, all of our lives have experienced significant disruption. We are balancing caring for the health of loved ones, learning to home-school children, all while continuing to work. Not to mention losing social outlets and drastic economic changes – we really don’t need more life hurdles. So it’s with the top focus of safety and health in mind that I i…

Did you know that more than one million American children were victims of identity fraud in 2017? This shocking statistic was a major driver for me to pore over article after article, looking for the causes and solutions – and put on my hat as both a fraud fighter and a parent.  In my research, I learned that two-thirds of the children whose identities we…

Like most, I started off the new year with a multitude of resolutions, and almost immediately followed that with inevitable procrastination. But I’m not going to let that keep me down. I am going to keep looking forward – especially when it comes to 2020 predictions for fraud and financial crime. This year my brilliant colleagues – Doug Clare, Frank Holzenthal, and TJ…

With people spending more and more time on their mobile phones — an average of three hours and 15 minutes on their phones every day, with the top 20% of smartphone users spending upwards of four and a half hours — “everything mobile” is driving digital transformation. Unfortunately, new fraud opportunities have come along f…

First-party fraud refers to an applicant or customer’s intention to commit fraud, whether through use of a true, manipulated or synthetic identity. It’s difficult to define the problem and many banking professionals debate the merits of who “owns” the first-party fraud problem — the credit risk group or the fraud group. However, even as the two groups have distinct…