Fraud Prevention Summit
March 18–19, 2026
The Inn at Opryland - Nashville, TN
Fraud is Rising. Is Your Credit Union Ready?
The Reality: Financial crime across the Southeast is escalating. In 2023 alone, Tennessee residents lost over $160 million to internet scams, with another $133.6 million reported in fraud-related complaints. The threat is real, and it is expensive.
The Solution: Join us for a critical two-day conference dedicated to protecting your members and your bottom line. We are moving beyond the statistics to focus on action.
Sessions Include:
The Psychology of Fraud
Open Banking and AI
Scam to SAR
Cybersecurity and Crypto
- Trusted Contacts and Elder Financial Exploitation
Secure Your Spot Today and Strengthen Your Defense.
Registration $595 for two-day conference
Reserve your room by February 25, 2026 for special $199 + rate
Schedule – All times CDT
Day 1 (March 18): Strategic Risk & Fraud Evolution
9:00 – 9:10 AM: Welcome and Opening Remarks
Kim Bohannon, Chief Innovation Officer, Tennessee Credit Union League
A brief welcome highlighting the League’s commitment to continuous learning and collaborative fraud prevention.
9:10 – 9:20 AM: Setting the Tone
Chelsea Treboniak, President, Critical Ops
Agenda overview and introductory comments focused on fraud escalation, cross-channel attacks, vulnerable population exploitation, check fraud resurgence, and why 2026 will be defined by member protection, data intelligence, and human factors.
9:20 – 10:20 AM: Trusted Contacts, Trusted Agents, and When CUs Get Burned
Todd Wascom, VP of Sales, Carefull
Trusted-agent fraud often originates through POAs, joint owners, and authorized signers who leverage influence, grooming, or misplaced trust to manipulate account activity. Operational red flags emerge through unusual transactions and behavioral shifts, requiring clear documentation and rapid escalation through established workflows.
10:20 – 10:35 AM: Break
10:35 – 11:20 AM: Understanding and Stopping Modern Payment Schemes
Sarah Beth Felix, President, Palmera Consulting
This session breaks down the mechanics, motivations, and modern tactics driving the surge in check fraud across Tennessee and nationwide. Participants will learn the operational defenses, member-impact considerations, and frontline behaviors needed to detect, disrupt, and prevent these rapidly evolving schemes.
11:20 AM – 12:15 PM: Networking Lunch
12:15 – 1:10 PM: The Psychology of Fraud
Stephanie Macrafic, CFE and Enterprise Risk Management Specialist
Fraudsters rely on social engineering fundamentals and exploit cognitive biases such as scarcity, urgency, authority, reciprocity, and fear through scripted emotional hijacking. Training staff to recognize and interrupt these psychological triggers is essential to stopping manipulation before it results in member harm.
1:10 – 1:20 PM: Break
1:20 – 2:15 PM: Leading Through the New Era of Fraud (Panel)
Donna Young, Cornerstone Financial Credit Union
Ron Smith, Enbright Credit Union
Ben Johnson, US Community Credit Union
In this candid discussion, three Tennessee credit union leaders share how fraud is reshaping strategic decisions, risk management priorities, and organizational culture. They’ll highlight real challenges, emerging threats, and the leadership actions required to protect members while sustaining operational resilience.
2:15 – 2:25 PM: Break
2:25 – 3:05 PM: Detecting Document Fraud in a Digital-First World
Ronan Burke, Inscribe
This session examines how fraudsters manipulate income statements, bank records, IDs, and other documents to bypass traditional verification controls. Inscribe will demonstrate how AI-driven document analysis and risk signals help financial institutions detect altered, synthetic, and inconsistent documents in real time, reducing manual review while strengthening fraud and compliance outcomes.
3:05 – 3:45 PM: Designing a Credit Union Fraud Playbook
Jen Lamont, BSA and Fraud Manager, America’s Credit Union
Walk through a modular playbook structure to build or improve escalation protocols, hold policies, and response plans.
3:45 – 3:50 PM: Closing Comments for Day 1
Chelsea Treboniak, President, Critical Ops
Day 2 (March 19): Practical Tools & Bold Action
9:00 – 9:10 AM: What We Heard, What We’ll Do
Chelsea Treboniak, President, Critical Ops
Day 1 recap and framing of Day 2 sessions focused on tactics and tools to strengthen prevention.
9:10 – 9:15 AM: Update
9:15 – 10:10 AM: The Face of Check Fraud
Amanda Compton, Federal Reserve Financial Services (FRFS)
Check fraud continues to evolve as criminals combine traditional schemes with new digital tactics to exploit financial institutions and their members. From altered checks and counterfeit items to remote deposit manipulation and organized mule networks, losses are increasing in both volume and complexity. This session will examine current check fraud trends, practical detection strategies, and operational controls that help institutions prevent losses while improving response time and member protection.
10:10 – 10:20 AM: Break
10:20 – 11:20 AM: Financial Crime Convergence
Special Agent Heather Stachnik and Special Agent Marissa Hession
Explore financial-crime convergence frameworks, how organized actors coordinate BEC, human-exploitation networks, and account-takeover pipelines. Learn how to integrate typology mapping, behavioral signatures, and industry intelligence into fraud-operations workflows to detect high-risk patterns earlier.
11:20 – 12:15 PM: Networking Lunch
12:15 – 1:05 PM: Open Banking & AI: Ownership, Oversight, and Overwhelm
Elizabeth Wadsworth, AI Expert, Velera
As open banking expands and AI-driven data exchanges accelerate, credit unions must decide what data they truly own, what they merely access, and where liability begins and ends. This session breaks down emerging regulatory expectations, model-governance requirements, and the operational controls needed to prevent data misuse, fraud amplification, and systemic blind spots.
1:05 – 1:15 PM: Break
1:15 – 2:05 PM: Cybersecurity + Cryptocurrency
Kevin Baker, Fortress SRM
This session explores the intersection of cybersecurity and cryptocurrency, focusing on how digital assets, blockchain technologies, and related platforms introduce new risks and compliance considerations for credit unions. Attendees will gain practical insight into emerging threats, regulatory expectations, and governance strategies to protect members while navigating an evolving financial landscape.
2:05 – 2:15 PM: Break
2:15 – 3:05 PM: Why Fraud Still Slips Through: Operational Gaps Credit Unions Don’t See
Justin Fischer, CEO & Co-Founder of RiskScout
Fraud detection can’t succeed when a credit union doesn’t have all the data. Detection succeeds when fragmented signals across systems, teams, and workflows are brought together to form a bigger picture. This session explores common operational gaps that allow fraud to slip through, from alert overload to disconnected BSA and fraud processes, and how leading CUs are closing those gaps.
3:00 – 3:15 PM: Closing Comments
Chelsea Treboniak, President, Critical Ops
Kim Bohannon, Chief Innovation Officer, Tennessee Credit Union League
Speaker Sessions
Chelsea Treboniak, President, Critical Ops
Meeting Facilitator
Chelsea is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, a veteran researcher, a published author, and the founder of Critical Ops in 2012 with a vision to lead in the critical infrastructure sectors. Under her leadership, Critical Ops has carved out a niche, offering specialized integration consulting services and products, including remote sensing, blockchain for occupational health, and e-crime intelligence.
Beyond her role at Critical Ops, Chelsea is deeply involved in the industry, serving on Advisory Councils and the Board of Directors for organizations dedicated to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), blockchain implementation, and critical infrastructure security. Her commitment to these fields is matched by her passion for continuous learning, a dedication to fitness, and an unwavering focus on family.
Hotel Info
Location
The Inn at Opryland
2401 Music Valley Dr, Nashville, TN 37214
Special Conference Rate Starts at: $204 + Taxes
Cut-Off: February 25, 2025
If You Need to Cancel
Cancellations received more than 14 days before the event are eligible for a refund, minus a $100 administrative fee. This fee is waived for events priced at $100 or less.
Cancellations received 14 days or less before the event are not eligible for a refund, as catering and venue commitments have already been finalized.
Refunds are not available for no-shows. However, you’re welcome to send a colleague in your place at no additional cost—just let us know ahead of time.
To cancel, please email events@yourleague.org.
If We Need to Cancel or Postpone
In the rare event we must cancel due to low enrollment or unforeseen circumstances, you’ll receive a full refund. If we need to postpone, you may choose either a full refund or transfer your registration to the rescheduled date.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
