u/TurtleBread233

Hello, I am 23 years old and about to graduate with a degree in criminal justice. I have been working in banking for almost a year now, but I really want to get into higher-level positions, such as a fraud investigator or something similar, while earning enough to live where I currently live, where the housing market is very rough. I suppose what I am asking is: since I am kind of on a fresh slate and will only have a bachelor's degree in the near future, what do you suggest I work towards that will make me a very solid candidate for positions in fraud/AML/similar roles? What is something I should aim for in the long game? I have also considered pursuing another degree in finance while working toward a master's in criminal justice; would that be worth it?

So recently after working part time until I finished my degree I was looking at openings in the area of fraud investigation and positions surrounding that. One thing that I kept seeing was certifications like "ACFE" and all these different courses that provided certifications surrounding fraud that they were looking to see. Now these things were not required on any of the job descriptions I'm guessing they were just to help people without secondary education. That being said I really wanted to beef up my resume because im younger and do not have a lot of experience in the field. Anyways... I decided to look these certifications up and noticed that they were very freaking expensive like some of the courses being $2,000 and $500 to retake the tests.... like I do not understand why these are more expensive than a single semester of schooling and then having to pay 200/yr to keep it valid. I just feel like they are using these things as a cash grab and I really don't get how that is okay. Should I just be praying the company I eventually get hired with would be willing to pay for that or do people just pay that out of pocket? I would really love to know if there is anyone who works in the fraud area that could shed some insight on the topic.