A human face for the complex fraud prevention world.

It’s an esoteric realm, with threats and tools both evolving at a fast pace. That’s why we’re here to help.
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Founded by a group of insider industry experts who knew what fraud prevention can and should be, Ascent Fraud offers an extensive and customizable suite of services for both merchants and vendors. We strategize for the long game, helping clients and partners defend against today’s risks and tomorrow’s threats. Ascent places special focus on education and training, arming merchants and vendors with the insight they need to stay on top.

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Experienced

Our collective decades of experience add up to expertise our clients can trust.

Tactical

We safeguard your long-term best interests with strategic analysis and insight.
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Agile

We adapt and keep up with trends and technology, evolving to match your needs.

Human

We bring warmth, partnership, and collaboration to a complex landscape.

Leading the ascent:

Jim Houlihan

Jim Houlihan

PARTNER AND PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT

Having spent the last 37+ years of his career in fraud prevention, detection, investigations and law enforcement, Jim is considered an industry fraud expert. For the last 10 years Jim has been one of the managing partners of Paladin, now Ascent Fraud, LLC- consulting for Banks, FinTechs, Merchants, Credit Agencies, Fraud & Identity vendors as well as Gaming and Crypto clients. Prior to consulting, he served as Global Director of Fraud Prevention for Orbitz Worldwide’s $12 billion online travel agency, Director of Authenticity at Bazaarvoice, Director of Fraud at Home Shopping Network, Senior Manager of Fraud at Dell Financial Services, and Senior Manager of Fraud at Citibank. He’s known as a strategic fraud thinker who creates unique methods and detailed analytics to proactively fight fraud and mitigate risk without compromising good transactions.​

Jamon Whitehead

Jamon Whitehead

PARTNER AND PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT

With more than 20 years of experience in the digital identity and payment risk industry Jamon has a background in strategic and tactical management of the complete identity and transaction risk life-cycle. This includes but is not limited to technology asesement and implementation, user authentication, and trust
assessment, risk-based data mining, automated and manual review management and chargeback processing and analysis. As Co-Founder of Ascent, he and his team offer an extensive and customizable suite of services to merchants, solution providers and FinTechs.

What's in a name

Behind the Ascent Fraud name is the guiding principle of leading our clients to new heights of security through better fraud prevention. We seek to provide knowledge, skill, experience, and deep understanding of the tools of the trade to help guide the climb.

Our monogram

Our mark provides an indication of direction, aspiration, and a hint of a flag to place at the summit. Ascent Fraud is on a mission to guide your ascent to the highest levels of fraud prevention.