What is a fraud investigator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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A fraud investigator is someone who specializes in detecting, investigating, and preventing fraudulent activities. They work in various industries such as finance, insurance, and law enforcement. Their job involves conducting thorough investigations to identify fraudulent activities and collect evidence. They analyze data and monitor financial transactions to detect fraudulent activities. Fraud investigators must have excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently or as part of a team.

ScoreFraud InvestigatorUS Average
Salary
3.8

Avg. Salary $49,010

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.6

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.34%

Asian 10.00%

Black or African American 8.57%

Hispanic or Latino 9.58%

Unknown 3.87%

White 67.65%

Gender

female 50.41%

male 49.59%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress Level
7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.6

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
5.3

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Fraud Investigator?

Pros

  • Exciting and challenging work

  • Opportunity to help protect people from financial harm

  • Variety of cases and industries to investigate

  • High demand for skilled investigators

  • Competitive salary and benefits

Cons

  • High workload and tight deadlines

  • Exposure to potentially dangerous situations or individuals

  • High stress levels and emotional toll from dealing with victims of fraud

  • Need for constant vigilance and attention to detail

  • Long hours and irregular schedules

Fraud Investigator career paths

Key steps to become a fraud investigator

  1. Explore fraud investigator education requirements

    Most common fraud investigator degrees

    Bachelor's

    58.8 %

    Associate

    18.9 %

    Master's

    8.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific fraud investigator skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Law Enforcement Agencies7.16%
    Investigative Reports6.39%
    Fraud Investigations6.33%
    Criminal Justice5.79%
    Financial Institutions4.40%
  3. Complete relevant fraud investigator training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New fraud investigators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a fraud investigator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real fraud investigator resumes.
  4. Research fraud investigator duties and responsibilities

    • Manage corporate-wide document production relative to complex litigation cases.
    • Detect and investigate fraudulent transactions such as money laundering, check forgeries, unauthorize ACH transfers and debit card fraud.
    • Review ISO reports and maintain close contact with police agencies working on fraud investigations.
    • Pursue recovery of bank funds through ACH processes, restitution from perpetrator and customer through criminal and civil means.
  5. Prepare your fraud investigator resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your fraud investigator resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a fraud investigator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Fraud Investigator Resume templates

    Build a professional Fraud Investigator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Fraud Investigator resume.
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    Fraud Investigator Resume
  6. Apply for fraud investigator jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a fraud investigator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Fraud Investigator Job

Zippi

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Average fraud investigator salary

The average Fraud Investigator salary in the United States is $49,010 per year or $24 per hour. Fraud investigator salaries range between $32,000 and $74,000 per year.

Average Fraud Investigator Salary
$49,010 Yearly
$23.56 hourly

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How do fraud investigators rate their job?

-/5

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Fraud Investigator reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

The different people i wast able to help and prevent from being defrauded. Communicating and problem solving for my clients

Cons

when clients insisted on what they wanted


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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