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Fraud Prevention

First United Bank and Trust Company reduces fraud review time by 75% with Abrigo Fraud Detection

Asset size

$580 million

Product

Abrigo Fraud Detection

Financial institution type

Bank

As First United Bank and Trust Company expanded from three branches to seven across four Kentucky counties, fraud became too large and too complex to manage through decentralized manual processes. After establishing a dedicated fraud department in 2024, the bank implemented Abrigo Fraud Detection to automate check fraud monitoring, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen customer protection. The results were immediate. Daily fraud review time fell from four hours to less than one hour, and the bank recovered the software investment within its first two months by detecting approximately $130,000 in counterfeit checks.

Download the full success story to learn how staff gained time to focus on fraud prevention, employee education, and community outreach, or read the highlights below.

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The challenge: Growing fraud required a dedicated approach

Like many growing community financial institutions, First United Bank and Trust Company noticed fraud becoming more frequent and more sophisticated as its footprint expanded. Previously, fraud investigations were handled by multiple departments without centralized ownership, making it difficult to ensure consistent follow-up and identify opportunities for prevention.

When Vice President and Fraud Officer Amy Doner was asked to establish the bank's first dedicated fraud department, one of her biggest priorities was replacing an inefficient review process. Each day, staff manually reviewed hundreds—sometimes more than 1,000—incoming checks within the core banking system. Without image comparison, signature verification, or intelligent alerting, every check required individual attention.

"Abrigo had what we were looking for, but it also has different modules that are easy to add and that talk to each other.”
Amy Doner, Vice President and Fraud Officer

The solution: Automating fraud detection while preparing for future growth

After evaluating several fraud detection platforms, First United Bank and Trust Company selected Abrigo Fraud Detection. While multiple vendors offered similar core functionality, Doner said Abrigo stood out for its combination of competitive pricing, responsive implementation support, and the ability to expand into additional integrated risk management solutions over time.

Using image comparison technology and automated alerting, Abrigo Fraud Detection replaced the bank's manual check review process with risk-based workflows that compare incoming items against authorized check stock and signatures.

 

The results: Faster reviews, significant fraud savings, and more time for prevention

Abrigo Fraud Detection transformed the bank's daily fraud operations. The most significant operational improvement came from automation. Daily fraud review time decreased from approximately four hours to less than one hour—a 75% reduction—allowing the fraud team to redirect time to higher-value work.

Soon after implementation, the solution helped Doner’s team detect four counterfeit checks drawn against a recently acquired customer account. The fraudulent checks totaled approximately $130,000. Considering the losses the bank might have faced had it not caught the counterfeits right away, Doner said the solution paid for itself within two months.

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