Guest: Melissa Jones, SIU Investigator at Crum & Forster ("OSINT Millennial")
Host Kelly Paxton sits down with Melissa Jones — insurance fraud investigator, OSINT trainer, and self-described "OSINT Millennial" — for a wide-ranging conversation about building a career in Special Investigations, the art of digital digging, and why connection (both online and on the ball hockey rink) drives everything Melissa does.
Episode Highlights
Fraudster Dinner Date Melissa kicks things off with an unexpected pick: convicted FBI spy Robert Hanssen, someone she studied in her criminal justice master's program. Kelly counters with the usual suspects (Charles Ponzi, Elizabeth Holmes) but appreciates the espionage angle.
Who Steals More — Men or Women? A detour into gender and fraud data, including a striking stat Kelly cites from a colleague's fire department embezzlement research: women make up only about 3% of fire department staff but account for roughly 28% of thefts. Melissa admits her own SIU team doesn't currently track gender breakdowns — but wants to start.
From Direct Bill Clerk to SIU Investigator Melissa traces her 12-year (and counting) career at Crum & Forster: a psychology degree from Ramapo College, an entry-level insurance ops job in 2014, a move into policy operations, and a leap into the Special Investigations Unit as an analyst in 2017 after spotting an internal job posting. She was promoted to investigator in 2022 and now works alongside a nationwide SIU team of 15–16 people.
Why Insurers Have the Data Advantage Kelly and Melissa talk shop on how much visibility insurance companies have into patterns of behavior — from claims data to spending anomalies — and how that data gets put to work across property/casualty, auto, workers' comp, and even pet insurance claims.
Building the "OSINT Millennial" Brand Melissa describes how she got into public speaking after approaching fellow investigator Joe Stevenson at a conference in Hersheypark in 2019, which led to her first joint presentation. She's since built her own social-media-investigations talks under the "OSINT Millennial" tagline, using only publicly available content (never her active casework) to teach audiences — including a recent stop in Leominster, MA that packed the room.
Industry Shoutouts
- OsmosisCon and Cynthia Hetherington — Melissa has FOMO for missing this year's conference and hopes to attend next year.
- Ritu Gill and other women in the OSINT/investigations space Melissa admires and reshares often.
- Christina Fiscella— noted for her work on gray-collar crime and elder fraud cases.
- Hank Asher/"Hank Venice" (as referenced in the episode) and Brian from Diligentia Group — mentors and friends from the investigations conference circuit.
Age, Assumptions, and Social Media Investigations A deep dive into why investigators shouldn't assume older subjects are "off the grid" — and why understanding how each platform works (not just whether someone uses it) is the real skill in OSINT investigations.
Fraud in Pop Culture Melissa's take: reality TV like Survivor is basically fraud and manipulation for sport. Kelly recommends checking out a Hacks episode (Season 5) with a surprisingly relevant survivor-style storyline.
Investigative Philosophy: "Dig" and "Trust but Triangulate" Both hosts bond over shared investigator vocabulary — the instinct to "dig," and Kelly's own mantra, "trust but triangulate," as a more generous alternative to "trust but verify."
Ball Hockey — More Than a Hobby Melissa opens up about her ball hockey career, playing internationally (including in the Dominican Republic) and around the U.S. (Nashville, Buffalo, Vegas), plus a women's league in South Jersey. She credits the sport with building a diverse, tight-knit community — and even a professional networking connection with a teammate who works in arson investigation.
NJSIA Shoutout Melissa is a board member and incoming Vice President of the New Jersey Special Investigators Association (NJSIA), which is gearing up for its 35th annual conference and networking seminar in Atlantic City this year. All are welcome to attend.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissajones33/
https://www.instagram.com/osintmillennial/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6P0m2KpUWA
