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The differences between fraud prevention specialists and special agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a fraud prevention specialist, becoming a special agent takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a special agent has an average salary of $60,916, which is higher than the $37,798 average annual salary of a fraud prevention specialist.
The top three skills for a fraud prevention specialist include fraud prevention, outbound calls and customer service. The most important skills for a special agent are professional work, national security, and local law enforcement.
| Fraud Prevention Specialist | Special Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $37,798 | $60,916 |
| Hourly rate | $18.17 | $29.29 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 33,725 | 46,232 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 49 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A fraud prevention specialist is in charge of reviewing and monitoring business transactions to ensure accuracy and thwart off fraudulent activities. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their place or industry of employment, it typically includes gathering and analyzing data, performing research and analyses, conducting audits and assessments, and utilizing various tools and programs. Moreover, a fraud prevention specialist must develop guidelines and conduct investigations on incidents to prevent them from happening again, all while enforcing the company's security policies and regulations.
A special agent is responsible for investigating law violations and criminal activities by collecting pieces of evidence, including witnesses' testimonies, to release a warrant of arrest and initiate prosecution. Special agents work closely with other law enforcement agencies to identify threats, analyze occurring criminal activities, and connect intelligence records through observation and field investigations. They also attend court proceedings to present evidence for court decisions. A special agent must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills, assessing unusual situations, and handling suspicious activities.
Fraud prevention specialists and special agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fraud Prevention Specialist | Special Agent | |
| Average salary | $37,798 | $60,916 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $61,000 | Between $43,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cerritos, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Apple | BNSF Railway |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a fraud prevention specialist and a special agent in terms of educational background:
| Fraud Prevention Specialist | Special Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | - |
Here are the differences between fraud prevention specialists' and special agents' demographics:
| Fraud Prevention Specialist | Special Agent | |
| Average age | 49 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8% | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 1.2% White, 71.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 9% |