Fraud investigator vs certified fraud examiner

The differences between fraud investigators and certified fraud examiners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a fraud investigator and a certified fraud examiner. Additionally, a certified fraud examiner has an average salary of $69,522, which is higher than the $49,010 average annual salary of a fraud investigator.

The top three skills for a fraud investigator include law enforcement agencies, investigative reports and fraud investigations. The most important skills for a certified fraud examiner are litigation, financial institutions, and background investigations.

Fraud investigator vs certified fraud examiner overview

	Fraud Investigator	Certified Fraud Examiner
Yearly salary	$49,010	$69,522
Hourly rate	$23.56	$33.42
Growth rate	6%	21%
Number of jobs	5,470	37,175
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	4	4

Fraud investigator vs certified fraud examiner salary

Fraud investigators and certified fraud examiners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fraud Investigator	Certified Fraud Examiner
Average salary	$49,010	$69,522
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $74,000	Between $49,000 And $97,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	Deutsche Bank	-
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between fraud investigator and certified fraud examiner education

There are a few differences between a fraud investigator and a certified fraud examiner in terms of educational background:

	Fraud Investigator	Certified Fraud Examiner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Accounting
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	SUNY at Binghamton

Fraud investigator vs certified fraud examiner demographics

Here are the differences between fraud investigators' and certified fraud examiners' demographics:

	Fraud Investigator	Certified Fraud Examiner
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 49.6% Female, 50.4%	Male, 48.7% Female, 51.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 10.0% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 10.0% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between fraud investigator and certified fraud examiner duties and responsibilities

Fraud investigator example 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.
Write suspicious activity reports, address fraud alerts, and other applicable AML processes in accordance with regulations and time limitations.
Work on the development of a client application site determining the AML decision making rules, alerts, validation and verification.

Certified fraud examiner example responsibilities.

Achieve to eliminate IRS penalty fees for reporting payments make to unverify or fraudulent accounts.
Analyze financial records, identify assets and fraudulent transfers in support of surety bond claim litigation.
Blood collection by venipuncture and capillary technique ensure all specimens are collect accurately, on time and according to establish procedures.
Provide superior customer assistance by assisting clients with debit card fraudulent activity identification and provide follow-up, as required.

Fraud investigator vs certified fraud examiner skills

Common fraud investigator skills

Law Enforcement Agencies, 7%
Investigative Reports, 6%
Fraud Investigations, 6%
Criminal Justice, 6%
Financial Institutions, 4%
Fraud Claims, 4%

Common certified fraud examiner skills

Litigation, 22%
Financial Institutions, 20%
Background Investigations, 17%
Financial Statements, 13%
Law Enforcement, 10%
Fraud Prevention, 6%

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Fraud Investigator
Fraud Investigator vs Certified Fraud Examiner

Updated January 8, 2025

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