From Cannabis Banking to Cyber Risk: Inside CU Risk Ops with Bryan Watkinson

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Jul 2, 2025

Bryan Watkinson, a risk management expert from Affinity Federal Credit Union, dives into the world of fraud prevention and cannabis banking. He shares insights from his engaging 'Fraud Friday' social media posts, designed to simplify complex fraud topics. The conversation highlights the challenges of managing various risks, including cybersecurity and check fraud, while maintaining a calm, steady approach. Bryan emphasizes the importance of community involvement and transparency in fostering a strong risk culture, even sharing his hands-on leadership philosophy of connecting with team members over donuts.

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ADVICE

Make Risk Relatable and Fun

Make risk relatable and sometimes fun to engage other departments beyond risk teams.
Use warm, friendly communication but be serious when necessary to earn respect.

INSIGHT

Approach Global Cyber Risk Calmly

Global conflicts raise cyber risk alerts but are often generalized and alarmist.
The best approach is calm vigilance, relying on vendor patches and ongoing preparedness.

ANECDOTE

ATM Out of Money Misunderstanding

Hailey shares a personal story of her husband assuming fraud when ATM cash was unavailable.
The real issue was just local ATMs running out of money, illustrating common overreactions to fraud fears.

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Banking on Fraudology is part of the Fraudology Podcast Network.

In this illuminating episode of Banking on Fraudology, host Hailey Windham sits down with Bryan Watkinson, a risk management expert from Affinity Federal Credit Union. Bryan shares his wealth of experience in operational risk, fraud prevention, and the emerging field of cannabis banking. The conversation kicks off with a look at Bryan's popular "Fraud Friday" social media posts, which break down complex fraud threats in an accessible way. Bryan reveals how these posts have become a rallying cry for other departments to embrace risk education.

The discussion then dives into the challenges of managing multiple risk verticals in a mid-sized credit union. Bryan offers invaluable insights on prioritizing threats, from cybersecurity concerns stemming from global conflicts to the day-to-day battles against check fraud and account takeovers. He emphasizes the importance of staying vigilant without overreacting, sharing strategies for keeping teams at a steady "level 4 or 5" of alertness. One of the episode's highlights is Bryan's candid take on cannabis banking, detailing how Affinity navigated this complex new terrain.

Listeners will come away with practical advice on making risk relatable across an organization, fostering transparency, and building a strong risk culture. Bryan's approach of "showing up" to branches with donuts and real conversations exemplifies his philosophy of hands-on leadership. Whether you're a seasoned risk professional or new to the field, this episode offers a masterclass in balancing vigilance with approachability. Don't miss Bryan's parting words on the power of networking and continuous learning in the fight against fraud. Tune in to gain insights that will elevate your risk management game and protect your institution.

Bryan Watkinson

About Hailey Windham:

As a 2023 CU Rockstar Recipient, Hailey Windham, CFCS (Certified Financial Crimes Specialist) demonstrated unbounding passion for educating her community, organization and credit union membership on scams in the market and best practices to avoid them. She has implemented several programs within her previous organizations that aim at holistically learning about how to prevent and detect fraud targeted at membership and employees.

Windham’s initiatives to build strong relationships and partnerships throughout the credit union community and industry experts have led to countless success stories. Her applied knowledge of payments system programs combined with her experience in fraud investigations offers practical concepts that are transferable, no matter the organization’s size.

Connect with Hailey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hailey-windham/