Grace Tafoya

San Diego, CA

Mobile: 619-***-****

ac78o0@r.postjobfree.com

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY Compliance Specialist with over 10 years of experience. Areas of expertise include Anti-Money Laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, PATRIOT Act, KYC, OFAC, SAR and CTR and U.S. State and Federal laws and regulations. Licensed Private Investigator. LANGUAGES Can speak and write English, Italian and I am a native Spanish speaker. QUALIFICATIONS Extensive knowledge of U.S. laws and regulations relating to money laundering. Exceptional analytical reasoning, excellent risk management processes and analysis. Highly organized and a great multi-tasker, attention to detail, self-motivated, great communications skills and computer proficient. Licensed Private Investigator in 13 States in the U.S.

WORK EXPERIENCE 07/2018 – Present Nexus Services - Immigration Bail Bonds Services San Diego, CA Private Investigator / Risk Management

● Ensure that recently detained individuals from immigration detention centers appear and report to their immigration court dates as needed.

● Help address issues and crisis faced by immigration clients.

● Make welfare checks on individuals as they wait for their immigration case to be heard in court.

● Conduct stationary and mobile surveillance on individuals being investigated at U.S. and international level.

● Gather data via online searches and/or neighborhood investigations adhering to state and federal laws.

● Use covert techniques to acquire pictures/video of documentation of subjects and other important investigative material that can be used as court evidence.

● Analyze and evaluate information to determine the appropriate course of criminal prosecution.

● Interview and investigate individuals for immigration bond fraud, fraudulent attorneys, notaries and community service entities.

● Prepare and document details of investigation via detailed reports and make recommendations for continuance or termination of surveillance on specific cases.

10/2017 – 07/2018 Lowry & Associates, Inc. (Independent Contractor) San Diego, CA Insurance Premium Auditor

● Audit medium and large Workers Compensation and General Liability policies.

● Examine policyholder’s payroll records and operations and record and summarize proper payroll and classifications to be used for determination of premium.

● Conduct physical audits for businesses for individual insurance companies.

● Maintain communication with company underwriters and agents. 12/2017 – 01/2018 Coinbase (Remote - Contract) San Diego, CA Investigations / Compliance Analyst

● Conducted ongoing compliance review, support, and analysis in support of Coinbase BSA/AML and other regulatory compliance policies and programs.

● Reviewed new and existing merchant activity on the Coinbase / GDAX platform.

● Investigated and escalate cases for GDAX consumer’s transaction activity, enhanced due diligence and other.

● Approved / rejected GDAX buy & sell investment limits.

● Keeping informed of any developments, changes on KYC, BSA/AML and OFAC and apply regulatory requirements as required. 12/2013 – 03/2017 Western Union San Diego, CA

Senior Compliance Officer

● Conducted SWB Program Reviews and supported U.S. agents and its affiliates to comply with AML / BSA policies and procedures.

● Conducted compliance reviews and AML Compliance training sessions with Western Union agents.

● Evaluated internal controls and AML compliance programs for agents through transaction analysis, audits and training sessions.

● Researched detailed information on customer’s accounts and their transactions to determine whether there was evidence of money laundering activity based on AML Compliance Office policies and procedures.

● Worked in conjunction with the Global AML Investigations team and the Global Compliance Organization for the detection and prevention of fraud related activity.

● Made sure agents were compliant with the Bank Secrecy Act, USA Patriot Act, State specific requirements and any Anti-Money Laundering / Anti-Terrorist laws that apply to money service businesses.

● Trained agents to implement and follow an Anti-Money Laundering Program.

● Followed up with agents concerning review findings / deficiencies within the AML program and made sure agents corrected them accordingly.

● Analyzed all money order and money transfer transactions and document post on-site reviews and escalated high-risk customers.

● Collected KYC and performed enhanced due diligence checks on customers transactions.

● Collaborated in special projects in the U.S. and/or other countries as assigned.

● Remain current with industry standards and developments in the areas of KYC, BSA/AML, OFAC, etc., and apply regulatory requirements and internal policies and procedures to agent reviews.

MoneyGram, Intl.

05/2009 – 03/2012 AML Compliance Reviewer / Trainer Phoenix, AZ 03/2012 – 12/2013 Associate Compliance Officer El Paso, TX

● Agent Due Diligence and Oversight - Ensured agents were compliant with the Bank Secrecy Act, USA Patriot Act, State specific requirements and any Anti-Money Laundering / Anti-Terrorist laws that apply to money service businesses.

● Provided risk-based Agent training, awareness and education in accordance with the business Anti-Money Laundering Program.

● Provided Anti-Money Laundering training and program reviews and evaluated agent’s internal controls and compliance with MoneyGram’s Anti-Money Laundering Program and fraud detection.

● Research detailed information on customer’s accounts and their transactions to identify any evidence of money laundering activity based on AML Compliance Office policies and procedures and escalate high-risk customers.

● Reviewed and analyzed agent’s money order and money transfer send / receive transactions and discussed the findings with business owners.

● Collected KYC and performed enhanced due diligence checks on customers transactions.

● Completed extensive thorough investigations to determine if unusual account activity was present and provided analysis of findings in written format.

● Ensured that compliance procedures, systems and controls were effective and up-to-date.

● Created cases, securing all required documentation necessary to make a sound filing decision, provided a suggested disposition based on the information available and the relevant facts, and conducted a follow-up visit when required.

● Collaborated in special projects in the U.S. and other countries as assigned by management.

● Remain current with industry standards and developments in the areas of KYC, BSA/AML, OFAC, etc., and apply regulatory requirements and internal policies and procedures to agent reviews.

10/2006 – 11/2008 Sigue Corporation Phoenix, AZ

Territorial Compliance Officer

● Provided risk bilingual training to money transfer services businesses on Anti-Money Laundering programs (conference setting as well as in person to person training).

● Conducted Anti-Money Laundering Trainings to ensure agents followed the Bank Secrecy Act, USA Patriot Act and state specific regulations.

● Trained agents to develop and implement an Anti-Money Laundering Program in compliance with any applicable legal requirements.

● Prepared money service businesses for IRS T31 audits and/or State Examinations.

● Identified and assessed potential areas of compliance vulnerability and risk and followed up with agents to make sure any deficiencies assigned were corrected accordingly.

● Escalated high-risk customers to FIU area for further monitoring.

● Collaborated in special projects as assigned.

10/2005 – 10/2006 CODEX Group (outsourced by Sigue Corp.) Nationwide On-Call AML / BSA Bilingual Trainer

● Provided bilingual training to Sigue Corp. Money Service Businesses on AML

/ BSA Compliance Program related information.

● Conducted Anti-Money Laundering and Bank Secrecy Act trainings to ensure Sigue Corp. agents were in strict compliance with U.S. Federal and State laws and regulation.

● Responsible for ensuring that Sigue Corp. agents understood and complied with all laws or regulations that applied to its type of business. EDUCATION 1993 Spanish Interpreter / Translator Certificate

San Diego State University – San Diego, CA.

LICENSES Private Investigator License

Commonwealth of Virginia

Department of Criminal Justice Services

Division of Licensure & Regulatory Services

DCJS ID # 99-586371

RE-1041098

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