Fraud & Dispute Operations

Regulated Financial Operations Improvement

Six years in regulated financial operations across disputes, fraud, payment exceptions, and customer-impacting workflows.

Reg E · Dispute Operations Process Controls SOPs & Job Aids QA Feedback Workflow Design Cross-Functional Remediation

My background is in regulated financial operations: Reg E disputes, check fraud, wire recalls, branch fallout, ledger balancing, case documentation, SOPs, training, QA feedback, and process defect review.

Over time, my work shifted from handling individual cases to improving the systems around them: finding where workflows break, documenting what should happen, identifying control gaps, clarifying analyst guidance, and helping cross-functional teams turn recurring operational issues into cleaner processes.

The portfolio below shows that approach in practice. The prototypes are not the point by themselves; they are evidence of how I translate operational friction into requirements, controls, documentation, metrics, and workable process designs.

Explore Operational Case Studies View Career History

13 hrs→20 min

Recurring Workflow Friction Reduced

Branch fallout root-cause analysis and backend fix validation.

$960K+

Funds Exposure Identified / Prevented

$275K identified and $685K+ prevented through strengthened controls.

$75K

Fraud Pattern Escalation Impact

Linked-account patterns documented and escalated for broader investigative handling.

Operations Experience

Click any role for the full story.

Operations Analyst

Capital One | Feb 2025 – Present

The Operational Environment

I support ATM dispute operations in a regulated banking environment where case accuracy, ledger integrity, timing, documentation quality, and cross-team coordination directly affect both customer outcomes and operational risk. My daily scope includes branch fallout review, ledger balancing, end-of-day review, defect analysis, process questions, escalation handling, and cross-team operational inquiries.

I regularly coordinate with Dispute Operations, Branch, Finance, Technology, and other operations partners to investigate breakdowns, identify root causes, recommend process improvements, and support implementation of fixes. I also function as a process SME for peers by coaching analysts, supporting new-hire training, reviewing colleague defects through formal quality-check workflows, updating SOPs, and creating job aids that improve consistency across the team.

Key Initiatives & Impact

Ledger Mapping Root-Cause Analysis

The Problem: Cash deposits were being handled alongside check deposits in branch fallout, creating recurring balancing and funds-tracing issues across Dispute Operations, Branch, and Finance. The issue was not isolated to one case or one associate; it created a repeating operational burden that required approximately 13 hours of weekly resolution effort across three teams.

The Action: I reviewed the recurring fallout pattern, compared how cash and check items were being routed, and traced where the operational handling no longer matched the intended ledger behavior. After identifying a ledger-mapping oversight, I documented the issue, explained the operational impact, and provided the business analysis needed for a backend engineering correction. I also supported validation by confirming whether the fix addressed the original failure pattern.

The Impact: After the backend correction, the recurring weekly resolution effort dropped from approximately 13 hours to about 20 minutes. Through the issue analysis and strengthened controls, I identified approximately $275K in ledger exposure and helped prevent more than $685K in additional misapplied funds. The work also reduced repeated cross-team friction by turning a manual cleanup process into a controlled operational fix.

VBA ATM Dispute Case Management Application

The Problem: ATM dispute work was spread across multiple disconnected workstreams, spreadsheets, templates, and manual tracking steps. Analysts were repeatedly entering the same claim information, manually creating backup documents, and moving between separate views to understand what work was pending, where a claim belonged, and what action was needed next. This created unnecessary administrative friction and limited visibility into the full workload.

The Action: I designed and built a multi-screen VBA case management application to centralize the core ATM dispute workflow. The application includes validated claim intake, streamlined work views, repetitive data capture controls, automated backup document support, dedicated queue views, EOD eligibility logic, status tracking, and a resources hub for templates and claim backup search. I built the tool around the actual decision points analysts face during daily casework rather than simply creating another spreadsheet.

The Impact: The application is currently being piloted with approximately six analysts. It reduces repetitive data entry, simplifies backup document handling, and gives analysts a clearer view of their work across multiple queues. Beyond the immediate pilot, the project demonstrates my ability to turn operational friction into business requirements, workflow logic, user controls, and a working prototype that can be tested, refined, and scaled.

Fed Disputes Process Transfer & Training Leadership

The Problem: The Fed Disputes process needed to be transferred from one department to another without losing process knowledge, disrupting case handling, or creating confusion for the receiving team. Because the process involved multiple steps, exceptions, and operational dependencies, the transfer required more than a basic handoff.

The Action: I led the end-to-end process transfer as the SME. I documented the workflow, created training materials, delivered training, answered process questions, clarified edge cases, and supported the receiving team after transition. I coordinated with operations partners and department stakeholders to make sure the process knowledge moved cleanly from the original team to the new ownership group.

The Impact: The process was successfully transferred from a seven-person operational group to a 10-person receiving team. The structured handoff helped preserve continuity, reduce reliance on tribal knowledge, and give the receiving team the documentation and support needed to own the process independently after migration.

Check Fraud Pattern Recognition: ISpy Award

The Problem: Check fraud can be missed when suspicious items are reviewed only as isolated cases instead of being evaluated for broader patterns. During normal review workflows, I noticed activity that appeared inconsistent with ordinary customer behavior and raised concern for potential fraud exposure.

The Action: I reviewed the suspicious check activity, identified recurring indicators, documented the concern, and escalated the findings for fraud review. Rather than treating the items as routine casework, I connected the activity to a broader potential risk pattern and pushed it through the appropriate escalation channel.

The Impact: The escalation helped identify and report approximately $40K in fraudulent checks in a single quarter. This work contributed to Q1 fraud recognition and resulted in an ISpy Award for proactive pattern recognition, escalation, and risk prevention.

IBM FileNet via ICN Documentum VBA Macros

What This Demonstrates

Regulated workflow ownership, control-gap identification, SOP and job-aid improvement, analyst guidance, cross-functional remediation, and the ability to turn repeat operational friction into measurable process improvement.

Bank Fraud Investigator

Discover Bank | Jan 2023 – Feb 2025

The Operational Environment

Within Fraud Operations, I investigated cases across the dispute and fraud lifecycle, including Regulation E disputes, check fraud claims, wire recalls, fraud intake, pre-screening, and final case disposition. My work required reviewing account activity, claim details, customer information, transaction history, fraud indicators, and supporting documentation across internal fraud platforms and Discover Network tools.

This role strengthened my ability to evaluate risk signals, document investigative findings, identify recurring fraud patterns, and escalate issues that affected more than one customer or case. It also gave me direct experience working inside regulated case workflows where consistency, documentation quality, and sound decisioning are essential.

Key Initiatives & Impact

Linked-Account Fraud Disruption

The Problem: While reviewing fraud queues, I noticed multiple accounts showing similar or repeated identifiers, including addresses, phone numbers, and claim behavior. Individually, the cases could have appeared unrelated. Viewed together, they suggested coordinated linked-account fraud activity that needed broader investigative attention.

The Action: I compared account details, contact information, claim activity, and behavioral patterns across profiles to identify overlap. I compiled the related accounts, documented the similarities, and escalated the findings so the activity could be reviewed as a connected pattern instead of separate one-off claims.

The Impact: The compiled findings helped investigators connect approximately $75K in fraudulent activity. Leadership later converted the findings into a department-wide trend reference, giving other investigators a practical example they could use to identify and handle similar linked-account fraud scenarios more consistently.

Trend Monitoring & Operational Review Support

The Problem: Fraud teams need visibility beyond individual case outcomes. If recurring behaviors, process inconsistencies, or emerging patterns are only handled one case at a time, the same risks can continue appearing in queues without being elevated for broader review.

The Action: I supported department operational review work by reviewing case activity, identifying recurring patterns, documenting concerns, and escalating potential process or control issues. I looked beyond the immediate claim decision to understand whether the activity pointed to a broader fraud trend, workflow issue, training opportunity, or investigative consistency concern.

The Impact: This work supported stronger fraud pattern awareness and helped surface repeat issues for review. It also strengthened my ability to move beyond transactional case handling and contribute to department-level visibility, consistency, and risk reduction.

FIS LexisNexis IBM Case Intake Discover Network Tools

What This Demonstrates

Dispute and fraud investigation judgment, case documentation quality, pattern recognition, escalation discipline, and the ability to surface recurring issue themes beyond one-off case handling.

Associate Consultant

TCS (Morgan Stanley Project) | Jan 2022 – Jan 2023

The Operational Environment

I worked in a mortgage post-closing quality control environment where the team reviewed files against changing requirements based on mortgage type and documentation needs. The existing workflow relied heavily on manual checklist handling, which created friction when requirements changed, increased the risk of inconsistent review steps, and made completed checklist handling more cumbersome for the team.

This role gave me early experience translating a repetitive operational workflow into a structured tool, validating logic with team leads and QA partners, training users, and supporting adoption after rollout.

Key Initiatives & Impact

Process Redesign & Team Rollout

The Problem: The team relied on a manual checklist process for post-closing quality control. Because review requirements changed based on the type of mortgage being audited, users had to manually determine which checklist items applied. This created avoidable handling time, inconsistent review experiences, and additional risk that required steps could be missed or applied incorrectly.

The Action: I led the design, testing, training, and rollout of a formula-driven Excel workflow for a 12-user team. The tool adjusted checklist requirements based on mortgage type, helping users follow the correct review path without manually rebuilding the checklist each time. I partnered with TCS team leads and QA partners to validate the logic, test the workflow, and confirm that the tool matched operational requirements before rollout.

The Impact: The redesigned workflow improved standardization, reduced manual handling, and made it easier for users to complete and attach the correct checklist to stakeholder emails. The project represented a full requirements, validation, training, and release lifecycle, and materially reduced handling time across the team.

Documentation & Quality Assurance

The Problem: A new workflow tool can create confusion if users do not understand when to use it, how the logic works, or what to do when exceptions appear. Because the process supported quality control work, the rollout needed clear documentation, consistent training, and a reliable support structure after implementation.

The Action: I authored SOPs and training materials, trained all 12 users, and provided post-rollout support for questions, defects, and enhancement requests. I worked closely with team leads and QA partners to validate the checklist logic, confirm the workflow matched review expectations, and adjust supporting materials as users encountered real scenarios.

The Impact: The documentation and support helped the team adopt the new process more consistently and reduced reliance on informal guidance. It also gave leadership and QA partners a clearer, standardized reference point for how review steps should be completed, documented, and communicated.

Advanced Excel Formula-Driven Logic SOP Authoring

Customer Relationship Consultant

U.S. Bank | Jan 2020 – Dec 2021

The Operational Environment

In this customer-facing banking role, I supported retail branch operations while handling complex account questions, fraud escalations, customer communication, and operational follow-through. Working directly with customers gave me foundational context for how account behavior, transaction activity, documentation gaps, and frontline interactions can translate into backend fraud reviews, ledger discrepancies, and operational risk.

This role built the front-line banking judgment that later supported my transition into fraud, dispute, and operations roles.

Key Initiatives & Impact

FEVA Escalation & Coordination

The Problem: While reviewing customer transaction activity, I identified behavior that appeared concerning for possible Financial Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult. These situations require careful handling because the risk is not only financial; the customer may be vulnerable, the activity may involve someone close to them, and the concern needs to be documented clearly for formal review.

The Action: I reviewed the transaction pattern, documented the behaviors that appeared unusual or concerning, and escalated the findings through the appropriate fraud review process. I focused on clearly explaining the observed activity, why it raised concern, and the approximate exposure involved so the case could be evaluated by the proper team.

The Impact: The escalation involved approximately $25K in suspected activity and helped ensure the concern received formal fraud review. The experience strengthened my ability to identify risk signals in customer-facing environments and document sensitive fraud concerns in a way that supported downstream investigation.

Branch Decommissioning Logistics

The Problem: Branch decommissioning requires careful coordination because customer communication, vendor handoffs, audit support, site logistics, and operational follow-through all need to happen without creating service disruption or documentation gaps.

The Action: I supported on-site branch decommissioning activities by coordinating customer communication, vendor handoffs, audit-related support, and operational follow-through. I worked with branch leadership and regional operations partners to make sure the right parties had the information they needed and that open items were tracked through completion.

The Impact: The work supported a controlled branch decommissioning process and demonstrated my ability to coordinate operational logistics in a live banking environment. It also gave me early experience managing sensitive transitions that required clear communication, stakeholder coordination, and attention to operational detail.

Branch Operations Risk Escalation Vendor Handoffs

How I Work

I start by understanding what actually happens in the workflow: where customers experience friction, where analysts lack clear guidance, where documentation breaks down, where controls are unclear, and where repeat issues are being handled as one-off exceptions.

From there, I map the process, identify control points, document decision paths, and turn recurring issues into clearer SOPs, better training guidance, stronger reporting, and practical workflow improvements. My goal is not just to fix one case. It is to make the process easier to execute correctly the next time.

Operational Improvement Case Studies

I design around the parts of regulated operations that usually create risk: unclear ownership, inconsistent guidance, missing evidence, manual tracking, weak visibility, repeated defects, and cross-team handoff failures.

These projects started as real operational problems rather than generic product ideas. Each case study shows how I approach regulated operations improvement: understand the workflow, identify the failure points, document the requirements, strengthen controls, and design a clearer path forward.

Built with synthetic data and sanitized examples — not live production systems.

How to Read These Case Studies

These are not just prototype demos. They show how I break down operational problems: identify the workflow, document the failure points, define controls, clarify handoffs, create reporting visibility, and support execution. Each page includes a workflow diagram, control callouts, and a spec or operating model.

Case Study

Reg E Dispute Operations Case Study

End-to-end dispute workflow concept covering intake, Reg E timing, evidence documentation, decision support, status visibility, and escalation paths.

Workflow Map Control Points Documentation Reg E Compliance
📄 View Operations BRD 💻 Launch Workflow Demo
Case Study

ATM Dispute Workflow & Control Hub

A workflow design showing how branch fallout, ledger research, claim documentation, queue ownership, and EOD controls can be centralized to reduce manual tracking and improve visibility.

Workflow Map Swimlane View EOD Controls Cross-Functional Handoffs
📄 View Workflow & Control Spec 💻 Launch Prototype Sandbox
Case Study

Regulated Dispute Operations Improvement Framework

A program-level case study showing how dispute workflows can be improved through documentation, controls, metrics, and cross-functional execution.

Metrics RACI Process Improvement Cross-Functional Handoffs
📄 View Program Operating Model 📊 View Metrics & Control Framework
Case Study

Payment Exception & Ledger Research Workflow

A concept for connecting legacy reports, image repositories, ledger research, and exception decisioning into a clearer analyst workflow with stronger documentation and escalation paths.

Workflow Map Ledger Research Documentation Escalation Design
📄 View Process Design Spec 💻 Launch Concept Sandbox
Case Study

Process Validation & QA Workflow

A dynamic checklist model showing how variable review requirements can be translated into structured logic, user guidance, QA validation, training, and rollout support.

Requirements Gathering QA Validation Rollout Support Process Improvement
📄 View Process Validation Spec 💻 Launch Logic Sandbox

Skills & Education

Six years across four banking environments Capital One, Discover, TCS/Morgan Stanley, and U.S. Bank.

Certifications

  • Certified Anti-Money Laundering Senior Specialist (CAMLSS)
  • ABA BSA/AML Compliance Certificate
  • SQL for Data Science (UC Davis)

Education

Bachelor's in Business Administration In Progress (Expected 2028)

Dispute, Risk & Operations Systems

  • FIS & Fiserv
  • LexisNexis
  • Salesforce
  • IBM case intake tools
  • Discover Network tools
  • IBM FileNet / ICN
  • Documentum

Data, Reporting & Workflow Tools

  • Advanced Excel & Power Query
  • VBA Macros & Forms
  • Python / pandas
  • SQL fundamentals
  • Tableau
  • Dashboard & report review
  • SharePoint & Miro
  • Monday.com

Regulatory, Risk & Controls

  • Reg E & Reg CC
  • NACHA & BSA/AML
  • Dispute operations
  • Fraud investigations
  • Check fraud & wire recalls
  • Branch fallout & ledgers
  • Audit findings & defect review
  • QA / control feedback
  • SOPs & job aids

Process, Program & Delivery Support

  • Business requirements
  • Process mapping
  • Gap analysis
  • UAT / QA validation
  • Change management
  • Stakeholder management
  • Rollout support & training
  • Issue tracking
  • Jira & Confluence

Let's Connect

Open to product and operations roles in fraud systems, dispute platforms, and workflow automation.

kylejallen22@gmail.com LinkedIn Download Resume