Every March, COCC brings together clients, industry specialists, and subject matter experts to take a direct look at one of the most pressing challenges facing financial institutions: fraud. This year, COCC hosted its second annual Fraud Forum on March 18, 2026, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bristol, Connecticut, welcoming nearly 100 attendees, from over 40 financial institutions for a full day focused on the fraud threats impacting financial institutions and their account holders.
The Forum was designed as a working session, giving community banks and credit unions space to explore emerging fraud trends, share real-world experiences, and develop practical strategies for strengthening their defenses. Sessions were structured to help institutions detect, prevent, and respond to fraud across a wide range of banking channels.
Fraud Prevention Strategies & Industry Insights
Throughout the day, COCC specialists and industry speakers led sessions covering the fraud patterns most actively affecting financial institutions. Discussions addressed a broad range of risk areas including check fraud, account takeover, digital banking vulnerabilities, dark web activity, and emerging threats within the instant and faster payments landscape.
Guest speakers also shared industry perspectives and practical guidance. Patrick Brzezinski, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships of Deluxe presented on remote deposit capture (RDC) fraud best practices and strategies for reducing payment risk, while Bonni Brodsky, Director of Secure Payments of Federal Reserve Financial Services examined evolving threats across the payments ecosystem including synthetic identity fraud, alongside prevention strategies and Federal Reserve educational resources.
The forum was built around helping institutions better understand current fraud patterns while providing guidance that can be applied directly within daily operations.
Collaboration & Peer Discussion
In addition to educational sessions, the program included time for networking and open discussion, allowing attendees to exchange ideas with peers, connect with industry specialists, and speak directly with COCC experts about the challenges their institutions are facing.
The forum featured a panel of industry leaders from community financial institutions who shared real-world perspectives on evolving fraud threats and mitigation strategies. The panel shared insights on efforts to educate customers, partnerships with media outlets to counter impersonation scams, and responses to increasingly sophisticated spoofing attempts.
The discussion gave attendees a direct look at strategies their peers are applying, offering practical takeaways rooted in shared experience.
“The Fraud Forum provides an important opportunity for our clients to come together and focus on one of the most critical issues facing financial institutions today,” said Karen Porter, AVP, Item Processing. “By sharing insight, solutions and real-world experiences, we help institutions strengthen their approach to fraud prevention and stay prepared for the evolving threat landscape.”
COCC remains committed to helping community banks and credit unions stay ahead of an increasingly sophisticated fraud landscape. From emerging digital threats to payment channel vulnerabilities, COCC continues to invest in the programs, expertise, and industry connections that help institutions respond with confidence.
