Leveling Up for Impact: My Big News and the Future of Banking on Fraudology

In this episode of Banking on Fraudology, Hailey Windham reflects on her journey in the industry by sharing big news and zooming out to address the "seismic shift" this change represents for her career and the community.  

Hailey officially announces she has joined Sardine as their Community Lead for Banking. She directly addresses industry skepticism, clarifying that this move is a values-aligned, impact-driven decision and "not a sellout moment".  

The conversation dives into the industry's evolution , highlighting how shared learning, cross-institution conversations, and an authentic community are shaping the future of fraud prevention.  

Key Takeaways: Why the Move, What Changes, and the Future of Community

Belief and Values Alignment are Essential: The "Why" Behind the Decision

• The Trust Filter: Hailey notes that she only puts her name behind brands she trusts and never stays silent for convenience.  
• Culture Over Tech: What stood out about Sardine was its culture of humility and curiosity, and a willingness to say, "We don't have this all figured out. Let's build it with the community".  
• Voice and Ownership: Crucially, she was never asked to change her voice , and she retains ownership of her catalog.  

Scaling Impact (Internal Threat): The Shift from Individual to Community

• Hailey explains that the role isn't about pushing product; it's about building authentic banking and credit union communities and challenging the status quo.  
• This move is about scaling impact—moving from helping one or two credit unions at a time to having a much bigger reach and connecting them with resources.  
• The goal is to move past institutional silos, driven by the mindset that "fraud doesn't happen in silos and neither should our solutions".  

Fraud Forward (External Threats): The Podcast Evolves Alongside the Industry

• Banking on Fraudology is evolving and will be rebranded as Fraud Forward.  
• The rebrand will bring improved production quality, consistency, and reach, allowing for bigger, bolder conversations.  
• Hailey promises the same honesty, hard conversations, and advocacy for fraud fighters will continue.  

Get in the mood of being grateful for the fraud-fighting community, and be reminded of how strong the fraud-fighting community truly is. The next chapter is about moving fraud prevention forward together.