AFS to Present at Wespay: Why Layered Defense Isn’t Optional Anymore

Fraud isn’t fading. It’s changing shape. And it’s moving fast.

Today, community banks and credit unions are managing more channels, faster payments, and smarter fraudsters, often while relying on fraud controls designed for 2010. It’s no surprise that gaps are widening. What used to be a strong defense at the teller line now leaves the door open through RDC, ACH, or wires.

Alyssa Kavanaugh, a longtime fraud defense consultant to over 300 financial institutions, will speak at the Wespay Payments Symposium about what it really takes to stop fraud across all fronts. Alyssa’s session will focus on how financial institutions can stitch together layered defenses that actually stop fraud, not just flag it after the fact.

The Problem Isn’t Just Fraud. It’s Fragmentation.

A lot of fraud tools work well. But they don’t always work together. That’s the real issue.

Fraud moves through whatever opening it can find, often jumping from one channel to another as soon as controls tighten. And yet many institutions are still defending each payment rail in isolation. Teller tools don’t speak to ACH risk systems. RDC alerts aren’t surfaced in OLB. Treasury teams aren’t looped into frontline threats.

Alyssa will walk through real examples where fraud shifted from check to ACH to business accounts. She’ll show how layering the right checkpoints in the right places made the difference.

What Institutions Are Doing Differently Now

At AFS, we’ve seen a clear pattern. The most resilient institutions aren’t just updating tools; they’re rethinking the flow of fraud defense. That includes:

• Validating checks at the point of presentment, not 48 hours later
• Running account-level fraud scoring before ACH origination
• Routing real-time decisions through APIs, not email alerts
• Giving treasury and deposit ops access to the same risk data
• Replacing legacy Positive Pay tools with faster, more flexible options

This isn’t just about adopting new tech. It’s about timing and tactics. Defenses need to match the pace of modern fraud.

Why Wespay, Why Now

ACH credit fraud is surging. Business check fraud is back in play. And the 2026 NACHA rule changes are already on the horizon. Institutions don’t have the luxury of playing catch-up anymore.

In her talk, Alyssa will share how community banks and credit unions are tackling these shifts head-on. They are thinking holistically, layering defenses across channels, and breaking down the silos that fraud thrives in.

Let’s Talk

If you’ll be at Wespay, we hope you’ll join Alyssa’s session. And if you’re already thinking about what layered defense could look like for your institution, let’s talk.

A smarter fraud strategy isn’t a nice-to-have anymore. It’s how you stay in the game.