Fraud and Abuse Operations Analyst

About the Role

The role is based at Plaid's San Francisco HQ, but the company embraces remote work, allowing for flexibility and work-life balance. As the first line of defense against fraud and abuse, this analyst will work closely with various teams across the organization, including product, engineering, legal, and compliance. The ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, is crucial in this role, as is the capacity to work under pressure and make informed decisions quickly.

As a leader in the fintech industry, Plaid is committed to innovation and customer satisfaction. The company's network spans over 12,000 financial institutions across the US, Canada, UK, and Europe, making it a significant player in the financial technology sector. By joining Plaid as a Fraud and Abuse Operations Analyst, one becomes part of a team dedicated to empowering a healthier financial life for millions of people.

What You Will Do

• Respond to and resolve fraud and abuse events on the Plaid platform, ensuring timely actions to maintain trust and security.
• Participate in the abuse on-call rotation, directly safeguarding users and customers.
• Investigate fraud and abuse claims from diverse sources, including internal teams and external partners.
• Partner with senior teammates on complex cases, driving investigations and providing insights that inform decisions and strategies.
• Perform threat modeling of abuse surfaces and continuously survey external fraud trends, adversary techniques, tooling, and emerging threat vectors.
• Support incident response by helping to triage and manage fraud and abuse events as internal incidents.
• Collaborate across teams, including product, engineering, legal, and compliance, to drive resolution and minimize disruption.
• Inform product strategy by providing operational insights from on-call and investigations to develop effective fraud mitigation solutions.
• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of fraud typologies, including account takeover, payments fraud, ACH fraud, chargebacks, and other types of financial fraud.
• Stay updated on the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by bad actors to commit fraud on the web.

What We Are Looking For

• At least 3 years of experience in fraud/abuse operations, trust & safety, and/or incident response.
• Proven experience in incident response and investigations, including triaging fraud or related incidents under tight deadlines.
• Ability to manage escalations and make informed trade-off decisions with multiple stakeholders.
• Effective communication and coordination skills, particularly with internal teams such as legal, compliance, and communications during incident triage.
• A strong mental model for balancing fraud mitigation versus conversion, with the ability to calibrate and apply this model under pressure.
• Working knowledge of fraud detection and prevention strategies, including common mitigation techniques for various types of fraud.
• Familiarity with the tactics, techniques, and procedures used by bad actors, as well as experience in translating fraud investigations into actionable detection signals.
• Dark and grey-web navigation and investigation experience, with the ability to assess source credibility and translate external intelligence into actionable insights.

Nice to Have

• Experience working in the fintech industry or a related field, with an understanding of financial regulations and compliance.
• Certification in fraud prevention or a related field, such as CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner).
• Proficiency in tools and technologies used for fraud detection and prevention, such as machine learning algorithms and data analytics software.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze complex data sets and identify trends and patterns.

Benefits and Perks

• Competitive salary and equity package.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous PTO policy and paid holidays.
• Remote work stipend and support for home office setup.
• Access to professional development opportunities, including training and conference sponsorships.
• A dynamic and supportive work environment with a team of experienced professionals.
• The opportunity to work on challenging and impactful projects that contribute to the company's mission of empowering a healthier financial life for millions of people.
• Flexible working hours and the ability to work from anywhere, allowing for a better work-life balance.
• A culture that values innovation, teamwork, and customer satisfaction, with regular team-building activities and social events.

• Develop a strong understanding of fraud typologies and mitigation strategies to stand out in your application.
• Highlight any experience you have in incident response, investigations, or fraud prevention in your resume and cover letter.
• Prepare to discuss your approach to balancing fraud mitigation with user experience during the interview process.
• Familiarize yourself with Plaid's products and services, as well as the company's mission and values, to demonstrate your interest and enthusiasm for the role.
• Be prepared to provide specific examples of your experience and skills, and to explain how you can contribute to Plaid's fraud and abuse operations team.
• Consider creating a portfolio or repository of your work, such as investigations or projects related to fraud prevention, to share with the hiring team.
• Don't hesitate to ask about the company culture, team dynamics, and opportunities for growth and professional development during the interview.