Tommy Nicholas, CEO of Alloy, discusses the broken fraud model in the crypto and fintech industry and the need to shift focus to the person. He emphasizes transparency and accountability and explores the role of automation and AI in supporting compliance teams. Topics include money laundering controls, processing suspicious activity reports, and threat actors in online onboarding. The podcast also covers Alloy's role in managing risks for companies, the impact of customer onboarding on the threat landscape, and combating fraud in the crypto industry.
The traditional approach to fraud prevention is broken and a person-centric approach focusing on identity information and historical patterns is more effective.
Transparency and accountability by regulators in the industry are crucial for demonstrating the effectiveness of money laundering controls and fraud prevention efforts.
Automation and assistance in filling out suspicious activity reports can help businesses save time and improve the efficiency of anti-fraud measures.
Deep dives
Alloy's Role in Fraud Prevention and Identity Risk Mitigation
Alloy, a company specializing in reducing fraud and mitigating identity risk, works with top banks, syntax, and crypto companies. Their CEO, Tommy Nicholas, explains how the traditional approach to fraud prevention is broken and how automation and artificial intelligence can be a successful path for anti-fraud teams in any industry. The focus should shift from transaction-level analysis to a person-centric approach, taking into account identity information, transaction data, and historical patterns to make informed risk management decisions.
The Need for Transparency and Accountability in Fraud Prevention
Tommy emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability by regulators in the industry. He suggests that more information and data should be shared to demonstrate the effectiveness of money laundering controls and the impact of fraud prevention efforts. Additionally, he calls for improvements in the suspicious activity reporting (SAR) process, advocating for automation and assistance in filling out SARs, which can be time-consuming for businesses.
The Evolving Threat Landscape and Scale of Fraud Operations
Tommy discusses the changing nature of fraud and the sophistication of fraudsters, who now have access to advanced technology and can exploit vulnerabilities at a global scale. He highlights the importance of staying ahead of these threats and the challenges faced by businesses and regulators in combating fraud effectively. Tommy also mentions the manipulation of social media platforms and messaging apps as another avenue for fraudsters to exploit individuals.
The Future of NFTs and Collectibles
Tommy shares his perspective on non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and rare digital art. He believes that NFTs will continue to play a significant role as collectibles and art in the digital realm. He values the token ownership aspect of NFTs and sees them as unique and decentralized assets that could become part of cultural movements. While acknowledging the hype and fluctuations in the NFT market, he predicts that the focus will return to the core concept of NFTs as digital art and trading cards.
Predictions for the Fraud and Compliance Industry
Tommy predicts further improvements in user experience and fraud prevention tools driven by technological innovation in the private sector. However, he expresses concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability in government regulation, hindering the potential for collaborative efforts to combat money laundering and fraud at scale. He believes that the industry will continue to see a cat-and-mouse game between fraudsters and fraud prevention companies, with incremental advancements in preventing and detecting financial crime.
When Tommy Nicholas (CEO of Alloy) wrote a blog titled, Your Fraud Model Is Broken, you had to know he and Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) were going to have a fun and insightful conversation.
In this episode, Tommy discusses how early NFTs and Bitcoin transaction speed got him interested in the space and years later his company Alloy is now servicing Fintechs, Crypto and TradFi companies managing their compliance, AML, credit, and fraud risk.
He explains the broken fraud model and the need for a shift in approach to focus on the person rather than just the transaction. He emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability by regulators in the industry and the burdensome requirements placed on the private sector.
Tommy also breaks down Alloy's Annual State of Compliance Benchmark Report 2023 and how automation and even AI can support compliance teams in any industry.
Minute-by-minute episode breakdown
(2:10) - Alloy's role in managing wide variety of risks for companies dealing with money
(5:08) - Alloy as an operating system for risk management instead of just another risk solution
(7:23) - The frustration behind the blog "Your Fraud Model is Broken"
(14:33) - The burden and costs of money laundering controls on the private sector
(18:27) - The inefficiency of processing suspicious activity reports
(22:56) - Threat actors taking advantage of online onboarding
(30:03) - How Alloy got into the crypto industry and fraudulent practices they have identified
(33:13) - Involvement in the NFT community and the potential of digital collectibles
Related resources
Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.
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