CASE STUDY

Reducing Noise With Streamlined Transaction Monitoring & SAR Filings

Case Management Screenshot

Customization

Precise detection rules per partner

Efficiency

Simplified SAR evaluation process

Confidence

Strengthen audit readiness
UNIT21 PRODUCTS USED
Transaction
Monitoring
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Case
Management
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Regulatory Filings
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“Unit21’s customizable rules & workflows have been instrumental in improving our efficiency.
VP, BSA/Fraud Officer
Patriot Bank

Company Facts

Assets
$974.1 million
Locations
10 Across NY & CT 
Founded
1994
THE PROBLEM
Growth of products & business lines leads to limitations in existing transaction monitoring system
As Patriot Bank’s Payments Division expanded into new financial products—such as reloadable corporate and payroll cards offered through a wide network of co-branded partners—the complexity of managing anti-money laundering (AML) and fraud prevention grew exponentially. This growth underscored a critical need for a more flexible and scalable transaction monitoring solution.

The bank’s shift toward a Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) model further complicated its compliance landscape. With a diverse ecosystem of program managers and Fintech partners, each with distinct transaction behaviors and customer segments, Patriot Bank required monitoring strategies that could be tailored to fit each unique use case. However, their existing transaction monitoring system fell short—lacking the configurability and data adaptability necessary to effectively detect suspicious activity across this varied portfolio.

Compounding the issue, Patriot Bank experienced inadequate support from its previous vendor. Requests for new features or adjustments were often unmet, leaving the bank unable to evolve its compliance operations in line with business needs. These limitations created operational inefficiencies and exposed the bank to heightened compliance risk, making it clear that a new solution was imperative.

TLDR: Problems

  • Existing transaction monitoring system lacked flexibility and scalability.
  • Inability to tailor rules for diverse Fintech partners and co-branded programs.
  • Limited visibility into suspicious activity across varied products and customer segments.
  • Transition to a BaaS model exposed system limitations and compliance gaps.
  • Previous vendor provided inadequate support and slow feature development.
WHY UNIT21
Up & ingesting data within days despite former vendor's difficulty in extracting data
Patriot Bank’s search for a new solution was significantly shaped by Unit21’s team, whose deep understanding of the bank’s unique challenges stood out. While evaluating several vendors—some of whom came across as overly aggressive or dismissive—Unit21 distinguished itself through a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach. Their willingness to adapt and build trust played a pivotal role in Patriot Bank’s decision to move forward with the partnership.

The implementation began with an ambitious 12-week timeline. Despite prior difficulties extracting data from their former platform, Unit21’s system was up and ingesting data within days. Patriot Bank praised Unit21’s customer success and implementation teams for their speed and efficiency—marking a clear and welcome departure from their past vendor experience.

TLDR: Why Unit21

  • Difficulty exporting data from the previous platform delayed progress.
  • Implementation support from past vendors was inefficient and ineffective.
  • Previous vendor lacked flexibility and solved with workaround vs addressing core needs.
“With other vendors, there were always workarounds for our specific requirements. But it became clear Unit21 operated differently. There was always a solution to be found, which helped build trust that our specific requirements would be met.”
VP, BSA/Fraud Officer, Patriot Bank
THE RESULTS
Boosting alert precision & audit readiness through rule customization
As Patriot Bank looks to the future, it is committed to expanding its fraud detection rule set, enhancing the analysis of metrics to better understand alert volumes and rule performance, and improving documentation to support stronger compliance efforts. Central to this evolution is Unit21’s highly flexible platform, which allows the bank to customize rules for individual program managers and co-branded partnerships. This level of adaptability has been instrumental in boosting efficiency and optimizing alert management processes. The ability to categorize cases and alerts has significantly improved how the bank prioritizes and resolves issues, setting the stage for continued growth and operational maturity.

From the outset of implementation, Unit21’s impact was immediately visible. The platform helped reduce the volume of alerts by intelligently identifying duplicates, enabling program managers to focus on meaningful, actionable signals. It also streamlined the case management process, allowing teams to assess suspicious behavior more efficiently and determine SAR relevance with fewer delays and less internal back-and-forth. These improvements translated into measurable weekly time savings and a more agile compliance workflow.

The partnership has also strengthened the bank’s audit readiness. A dual verification system ensures program managers have comprehensive access to the data they need, and Patriot Bank now feels confident heading into audit season. Industry peers, consultants, and regulators have responded positively to the bank’s selection of Unit21, further validating its strategic decision. These conversations have helped reinforce trust in Unit21’s role as a transaction monitoring partner.

“Patriot Bank's experience with Unit21 has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighted by the platform's ease of use, customization capabilities, and user-friendly design. The bank appreciates Unit21's proactive approach to relationship building and their genuine interest in meeting the bank's needs.”

TLDR: Results with Unit21

  • Tailored Rule Customization: Unit21 enables precise fraud detection rules for each program manager and co-branded partner.
  • Efficiency Gains: Categorizing alerts and cases has streamlined workflows and reduced manual workload.
  • Smarter Alerting: Duplicate alert reduction allows teams to focus on high-value, actionable insights.
  • Faster Case Resolution: Simplified SAR evaluation process cuts down back-and-forth and saves weekly time.
  • Audit Confidence: Dual verification and improved data access strengthen audit readiness.
“Unit21’s flexibility allows us to tailor rules specific to our program managers and their co-branded partnerships.”
VP, BSA/Fraud Officer, Patriot Bank
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