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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.
Upcoming
DATE

Monday, October 19, 2026
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm

INSTRUCTOR

Lauren SparksBill Sparks

FORMAT

Webinar

$299.00 or 1 Token

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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This fast-paced 2.5-hour Part 1 interactive webinar introduces open-source cryptocurrency investigation tools that community bankers can use to support fraud reviews, BSA/AML investigations, and suspicious activity reporting. The class is designed for bankers who already have a basic understanding of cryptocurrency, wallets, blockchains, and common transaction terminology.

The session begins with a practical rollout of open-source tools and resources, including blockchain explorers, wallet-screening resources, scam databases, domain and website research tools, social-media searches, and other publicly available investigative sources. The instructor will demonstrate how these tools can be used without relying solely on expensive commercial blockchain analytics platforms.

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.

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.

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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