With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it is a really good time to reflect on what we are all grateful for. Fraud Fighters have a lot throughout the year to deal with. There is always some new trend or fire to put out...the sky is always falling and we are constantly trying to pick up the pieces. Despite the sometimes strenuous nature of the work, there is also a lot of rewards and many things to be thankful for. Here are five things that I as a Fraud Fighter am thankful for this season (and one honorable mention).
Job Security - let's start out with the bittersweet; job security. Would it be great to eliminate all fraud? Yes. Is it a realistic goal? No. This is career in of itself which will be in demand for a long time. Assuming you put in the time and develop the right skills, there are many opportunities across various industries (government, healthcare, technology, banking just to name a few).
Impactful Work - those out there preventing fraud make a lot of impact whether they recognize it or not. Stopping a bad guy feels good. It financially helps the organizations that we are a part of. In addition, there are many people who become victimized by the crime. When we engage in stopping it, we help the innocent and the vulnerable. We only have the opportunity to fight fraud on this side of heaven (ironically, I have 'job security' as the first thing to be thankful for'). That being said, make the most of helping others and foiling criminals; this is the only life you get to do that.
Industry Support and Collaboration - many industries struggle to connect because of competition. Those working on anti-fraud efforts are highly collaborative. Would-be competitors work together to develop fraud fighting best practices. Information on trends and solutions are shared to strengthen everyone. Organizations are formed and promoted to better equip professionals. One such organization making great strides in supporting and collaborating against fraud (and human crime in general) is The Knoble. This is a non-profit I have been a part of for a few years, and they are committed to both support and collaboration. Check out and get involved in The Knoble at https://www.theknoble.com/.
Coworkers and Teams - your coworkers and the teams that you manage, support, or work with are all people to be grateful for. It takes more than one person to make a difference when you are talking about something like fraud. Everywhere around you there are people who step up. They are coming up with new ideas, they are challenging status quos. We are blessed to be working with others, especially when you consider the diversity that exists. There are so many different types of people when it comes to fraud fighting! Connecting with them to make a difference is something to be grateful for!
Friends and Family - while we all do a lot to stop fraud and make the world a better place, our friends and family are the ones who support us. They can be sounding boards and they motivate us to do better (or to just keep going sometimes). We work hard in part because they believe in us. It is with these people that many of us will spend our Thanksgivings with, so make the most of it!
An honorable mention goes out to coffee, the official hot (or cold) beverage of Fraud Fighters around the globe. I hope you have time to reflect on all you appreciate and have a wonderful Thanksgiving this year!
Keep up the hunt...keep up the fight...