Denese Harmon, CAMS
Denese Harmon, CAMS, is the Assistant Vice President and a Financial Crimes Investigator at First Bank (FBNC) in Troy, North Carolina. With over 15 years of experience in anti-money laundering (AML), fraud prevention, and financial crime investigations, Denese is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the financial system. She leverages her expertise in transaction monitoring, KYC/CDD/EDD compliance, and regulatory risk management to identify and mitigate complex financial threats, making a tangible impact on both organizations and individuals.
Denese’s journey in financial crimes investigation began somewhat by chance when she was a young mother fresh out of college with an Associate’s degree in Business Administration. She took a staffing position at a local bank in their fraud department, focusing on debit card and ATM fraud detection, and quickly discovered a natural aptitude for investigations. She continued to develop her skills in ATM, debit card, and check fraud investigations, eventually expanding into anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act compliance. In her current role, Denese analyzes large volumes of transactions to detect illicit activity, including terrorist financing, drug and human trafficking, and elder financial exploitation. Collaborating closely with law enforcement and government agencies, she finds fulfillment in stopping criminal behavior and seeing the real-world results of her work.
A Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Denese is proud to have achieved this benchmark certification, a goal that took years of preparation and dedication. She is passionate about mentoring emerging professionals in financial crime compliance and actively shares insights on evolving risks such as cryptocurrency laundering, trade-based schemes, and shell company structures. Outside of work, Denese enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, and caring for her dogs, bringing the same analytical rigor, dedication, and curiosity to her personal life as she does to her career.
• ACAM Certification
• Finger Lakes Community College - Associate in Business
• ACAM
• Manna Food Bank
• School Supply Drives
What do you attribute your success to?
She attributes her success to her entire career and journey that it has taken to get to where she is today, she attained her Associates degree and moved right into the banking fraud department and found she was very good at this skillset that it takes to be successful in her career as a financial crimes fraud investigator, and loves making a difference and stopping illegal activities.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is that it’s possible to build a meaningful career in a field you love while also making a real difference in the lives of others. I’ve carried this principle throughout my professional journey, always seeking opportunities where my skills align with my passions and where my work can have a positive impact. It reminds me to approach every role with purpose, to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, and to focus on contributing value in ways that matter both to my organization and the communities I serve.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering this industry that they absolutely can build a career they love. Success comes from dedication, persistence, and a willingness to keep learning. Stay focused on your goals, work hard, and don’t be discouraged by setbacks every challenge is an opportunity to grow. Most importantly, never give up on your ambitions, because with perseverance and passion, you can achieve meaningful and fulfilling success.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge and opportunity in my field right now is AI technology. I'm excited about AI and what it can bring to our work, but the real challenge is that criminals can use AI and they adapt this technology at a much faster pace than banks in their current state can keep up with. We're also dealing with legacy bank systems that have been in place for a while, and we're trying to keep up with technology while new transactions are coming into these older systems. It's a challenge, but it's also an opportunity. Another major challenge is third-party payment systems like Cash App - these platforms really make it quite difficult to find the illicit money and find the source of the funds because criminals will use those platforms and send payments through multiple people, and then it gets to your bank and you have no clue where that actually originated from. So it's like a cat and mouse type of game.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Making a real impact in people's lives is what drives me in my work. I can say that I've made a real impact through my investigations, and when I'm lucky, I can stop illicit behavior - that's really what we strive for. There's nothing like working on a case, sending it up to law enforcement, and then seeing something on the news and knowing it all started with a suspicious transaction. It's exciting and fulfilling. Outside of work, I value being outdoors and in nature - anything outside, hiking, walking my dogs, fishing. I just moved to this beautiful lake community and we just purchased a boat. You can find me anywhere outside doing anything that doesn't involve a screen or a computer or a phone. I grew up fishing and being outside and barefoot, catching lightning bugs, and that's still what it's all about for me.