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Community Banker Open Source Crypto Investigations - 2 Part Series

Cryptocurrency-related fraud is increasingly reaching community banks through account openings, ACH activity, wires, card transactions, peer-to-peer payments, and customer complaints. Bankers may recognize the warning signs but still struggle to determine what happened, where the funds moved, and what information can be developed using publicly available “open source” resources. Resources are needed to investigate beyond the bank walls.
Upcoming
DATE

Monday, October 19, 2026
Monday, October 26, 2026

INSTRUCTOR

Lauren SparksBill Sparks

FORMAT

Webinar

$549.00 or 2 Tokens

Includes: Live Access, 30 Days OnDemand Playback, Presenter Materials and Handouts

  • BSA
  • Compliance
  • Deposit
  • Fraud
  • General Compliance
  • Information Technology/Security
  • Risk Management/Legal
  • Technology/Security
  • Bank Legal Counsel
  • Bank Secrecy Act Officer/BSA Specialist
  • Compliance Officer
  • Deposit Operations Manager/Specialist
  • Internal Auditor
  • IT Professional
  • Privacy Officer/Information Security Professional
  • Risk Manager
  • Security Officer
  • Teller

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At this juncture in the history of cryptocurrency, there is no question that your bank, MSB, NBFI, or at least some of your customers have been victims of scams or even part of scams involving cryptocurrency. There may be telltale signs in your bank records but there is no substitute for looking at actual transactions as they occur on the way in or off-ramping from your bank systems. How do you get that information? The FinCEN 314(b) program can, in some cases, put you inside an investigation. Open-source tools work well and continue to improve. Many are no cost and low cost. We will explain the free, &ldquo,fremium&rdquo,, subscription cycle and why there is always a free tool that works.

Investigative work can be really fun. In this innovative and relevant Two-Part Series, we provide cryptocurrency investigative techniques and tips for better liaison work with Law Enforcement. The suspicious activity reporting or information you provide should tell a story that garners and keeps the attention of anyone reading it. Whether you know it or think it, you have a &ldquo,trust score&rdquo, in every interaction you have. Through Instructor-led and participant homework we will teach you how to improve your &ldquo,trust score&rdquo, and become a "go to" person on multiple fronts.

Series Details

Community Banker Open Source Crypto Investigations - Part 1

Cryptocurrency-related fraud is increasingly reaching community banks through account openings, ACH activity, wires, card transactions, peer-to-peer payments, and customer complaints. Bankers may recognize the warning signs but still struggle to determine what happened, where the funds moved, and what information can be developed using publicly available “open source” resources. Resources are needed to investigate beyond the bank walls.
  • Selecting and using open-source blockchain explorers
  • Understanding wallet addresses, transaction hashes, and blockchain records
  • Tracing basic movement of funds between wallets
  • Identifying centralized exchanges, hosted wallets, and intermediary services
  • Red flags for cryptocurrency investment scams, romance and confidence scams, pig-butchering and investment-platform fraud
  • Cryptocurrency ATM and kiosk transactions
  • Using scam-reporting databases and public complaints
  • Documenting investigative steps and limitations
  • Identifying information that may support escalation or SAR filing.

An instructor guided case study will allow participants to follow an investigation from the initial bank transaction through open-source research and development of investigative conclusions.

The webinar will also include a breakout session in which participants work in small groups to evaluate other cryptocurrency fraud scenarios, identify investigative steps, select appropriate open-source tools, and determine what additional information should be gathered. Homework will be assigned.

Community Banker Open Source Crypto Investigations - Part 2

Cryptocurrency-related fraud is increasingly reaching community banks through account openings, ACH activity, wires, card transactions, peer-to-peer payments, and customer complaints. Bankers may recognize the warning signs but still struggle to determine what happened, where the funds moved, and what information can be developed using publicly available “open source” resources. Resources are needed to investigate beyond the bank walls.
  • Comparing open-source blockchain investigation tools
  • Researching wallet addresses and transaction histories
  • Identifying linked wallet addresses and recurring counterparties
  • Developing a list of facts and assumptions and how to harden assumptions
  • Enhancing SAR narratives with wallet addresses, transaction hashes, platform names, URLs, and investigative findings
  • Identifying information likely useful to law enforcement
  • Creating internal referrals and investigative packages

What You'll Learn

  • Selecting and using open-source blockchain explorers
  • Understanding wallet addresses, transaction hashes, and blockchain records
  • Tracing basic movement of funds between wallets
  • Identifying centralized exchanges, hosted wallets, and intermediary services
  • Red flags for cryptocurrency investment scams, romance and confidence scams, pig-butchering and investment-platform fraud
  • Cryptocurrency ATM and kiosk transactions
  • Using scam-reporting databases and public complaints
  • Documenting investigative steps and limitations
  • Identifying information that may support escalation or SAR filing
  • Comparing open-source blockchain investigation tools
  • Researching wallet addresses and transaction histories
  • Identifying linked wallet addresses and recurring counterparties
  • Developing a list of facts and assumptions and how to harden assumptions
  • Enhancing SAR narratives with wallet addresses, transaction hashes, platform names, URLs, and investigative findings
  • Identifying information likely useful to law enforcement
  • Creating internal referrals and investigative packages

Who Should Attend

This session is appropriate for BSA/AML and CFT officers, Fraud investigators, SAR investigators, Compliance officers, Deposit operations personnel, Information-security personnel, Internal auditors, Law-enforcement liaison personnel, and Bank employees who support cryptocurrency-related investigations. Tellers, yes tellers can be your first line of defense. Participants will need access to computer resources that can access the internet for investigation purposes.
Lauren Sparks

Instructor Bio

With a career spanning 40+-years as a community banker and banking regulatory risk management consultant, Lauren Sparks is an accomplished advocate for community banks and women’s financial services leadership. In her career Ms. Sparks held positions in community banks that ranged from teller to Investment Officer, Loan Officer, and Cashier. She founded a women-owned, women-led denovo community bank and served as CEO and Chairman of the Board. In risk management consulting, Ms. Sparks moved to bank consulting firms at a local level, and then to a national level where as a Director she specialized in troubled banks and fintech. In 2009, Ms. Sparks formed 3PR, Inc., a woman-owned consulting firm specializing in community banks and financial service firms where she serves as CEO. 3PR serves more than 50 community banks at any given time and has been a preferred vendor for one of the world’s largest software providers.

She has edited the Reference Guide for Regulatory Compliance Manual (RGRC) for the American Bankers’ Association (ABA). Ms. Sparks is a founder of the Houston chapter of the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) and is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM), and has been an Accredited ACH Professional (AAP).

Bill Sparks

Instructor Bio

Based on experience acquired in a previous career, William (Bill) Sparks has been actively training Military Special Operations and Law Enforcement personnel in cybercrime and cryptocurrency investigations since 2016. Bill is an integral part of an international team assisting Uzbekistan in policy, investigations, enforcement and cryptocurrency adoption. Bill has assisted US and Uzbek law enforcement with large and small cases with assets recovered ranging from thousands of dollars to tens of millions. With 3PR clients, Bill has assisted in investigations and has trained bankers on scam typologies, red flags, and interacting with law enforcement.


Bill holds the title of Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator (CCI) from the Blockchain Intelligence Group. He is a graduate of the Joint Special Operations University, Counter Threat Finance Course and attended courses in Financial Intelligence offered by Analysis International, a group of former New Scotland Yard intelligence and undercover agents. Bill holds numerous certificates including AI, Databases, Computer Science and Statistics from Stanford Engineering, Global Online Education, Stanford University.


In June 2025, Bill was named as an international expert and presented at a Law Enforcement Symposium held in Tashkent Uzbekistan. In November 2025, Bill presented for the United Nations ODC ARIN-WCA. In April 2026, Bill is presented a 3-day Cyber and Crypto course at the U.S. Cyber Command in Maryland.


Bill continues to assist law enforcement regularly from street level drug dealing to prison gangs to sophisticated transnational financial crimes.

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