Combatants of Cybercrime

Financial scams are increasing online - along with losses from these crimes - as cybercriminals continue to find new ways to trick people and move money. At the same time, the need for people who can investigate, analyze, and prevent these crimes has grown across government, companies, consulting firms, and non-profits.

Siena University is responding with an array of academic offerings to prepare Saints for careers dedicated all or in part to combatting cybercrime. Marie Rice, Ph.D., C.F.E. joined Siena's faculty in 2021 as an assistant professor and became director of the University's newly-created Center for Anti-fraud Resources and Examination Services (CARES) in 2023.

"The entire model of CARES is designed to serve older citizens and smaller businesses and non-profits, which are most strongly impacted by cybercrime," explained Rice. "Law enforcement has its hands full, and there is often not enough bandwidth for them to investigate these crimes. Our center is designed to give our students practical experience by working with local and state agencies to help solve these cases and help the vulnerable."

Academic opportunities at Siena include:

Undergraduate
• A newly-approved Financial Forensics track within the Criminal Justice major.
• A Financial Accounting and Fraud concentration within the Business major.
• A Forensic Science minor in the School of Science.
• Several Accounting major electives.

An important feature of the undergrad programs is the experiential component, where students participate in ACCT465 Financial Forensics Lab, working side-by-side with law enforcement and anti-fraud professionals. This course is designed to benefit students, law enforcement, and the community by providing a high-impact practice where students help fight financial crimes against vulnerable individuals and small organizations.

Graduate
• Graduate certificates in Fraud and Forensic Accounting or Cybersecurity/ERM can be obtained independently, or as part of the MSA, MSBA, or MBA programs.

The graduate certificates are also experiential in nature and taught by expert practitioners.

Rice provided some concerning stats: the Federal Trade Commission reported that Americans lost $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, up 25 percent from 2023, with investment scams and imposter scams among the most frequent. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center showed steady growth in cyber fraud, including cryptocurrency-related schemes and elder fraud. She said a loss of even $5,000 to $10,000 can be a devastating hit for seniors on a fixed income or small companies.

"CARES and our financial fraud coursework really align with Siena's Franciscan mission of seeking justice for some of the most vulnerable people in our society by meeting them where they are and working directly with them," she said.

Saints who have taken financial forensics courses say the opportunity is yielding both academic and professional dividends.

"The course offerings are not only giving me foundational knowledge which will be useful for identifying, preventing, and tracing fraudulent activities, but also allowing me to connect with employers," said Aiden Holden '27. "The forensics lab is providing me the opportunity to work closely with real cases and practice preparing information to potentially bring cases to court in the future. The skills and knowledge will be valuable to me no matter what career path I choose, as it will allow me to protect my future employers and colleagues from being scammed or defrauded."

Mikaela Wegert '27 shared that these courses "help students to become more critical thinkers and evaluate situations from varying perspectives," while learning fraud prevention and detection skills that can be used to protect the community. Miranda Price '26 agreed that the lab is an "essential" class for her future career because "understanding these techniques will help me develop critical thinking skills that will allow me to be a positive asset to a future law enforcement agency."

"My experience taking the course was fantastic," added Chiamaka Okoye '26. "I had the chance to work on a real-world case, which allowed me to make a positive impact and improve my teamwork skills. It was a truly great opportunity, and I recommend it to anyone thinking about taking the class. Each experience in the course will be unique and valuable."