Abagnale - Scam Me If You Can: Simple Strategies to Outsmart Todays Ripoff Artists

Portfolio / Penguin

An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

penguinrandomhouse.com

Copyright 2019 by AARP. All rights reserved. AARP is a registered trademark.

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

Most Portfolio books are available at a discount when purchased in quantity for sales promotions or corporate use. Special editions, which include personalized covers, excerpts, and corporate imprints, can be created when purchased in large quantities. For more information, please call (212) 572-2232 or e-mail .

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019945987

ISBN 9780525538967 (hardcover)

ISBN 9780525538974 (ebook)

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers, Internet addresses, and other contact information at the time of publication, neither the publisher, AARP, nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher and AARP do not have any control over and do not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While AARP, the author, and the publisher have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. AARP, the author, and the publisher shall not be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. The fact that an organization or website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that AARP, the author, or the publisher endorse the information the organization or website may provide or recommendations it may make.

Some names, locations, and other identifying details of scam artists and targets have been changed.

Cover design: Henry James Nuhn

Cover image: Greyj / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Version_2

This book is dedicated to my grandchildren.

Foreword by Keith Slotter

I first arrived at FBI headquarters in early 1995, eager to kick off the management portion of my career as a newly appointed supervisor in the Financial Institution Fraud Unit, part of the global financial crimes enforcement team. Placed in charge of the Bureaus check fraud initiative, my first directive was to host a series of national conferences bringing our field managers up to speed on the latest scams and how we might defeat them, or at least gain some traction on the problem.

While searching possible expert speakers, an associate referred me to Frank Abagnale. I had never heard of him, nor his criminal and FBI past. Though Steven Spielberg already possessed the rights to Franks life story, this was years before Catch Me If You Can was written, cast, or filmed. Of course, the movie would eventually become a mega-hit, with a spin-off Broadway show, but in those pre-Internet days, all I could do was scrape together a few basics, including some material Frank sent me. It was thoroughly impressive and quickly confirmed that this guy was truly an expert in bank fraud and its prevention. There was a good chance hed do quite well for my upcoming conferences. How little did I know.

Well, he killed it at our first warm-up session in Salt Lake City and then again to a much larger audience in Boston six months later. Frank was witty, clever, and incredibly knowledgeable, and his fraud experience and expertise were unmatched. He even showed me how to wash checks, erasing handwritten ink using simple nail polish remover, so I could muddle through similar demonstrations on my own. And he was freely available! I tried to at least pay for his travel and expenses, but hed insist that I only tell him where to be and when.

Time went on, Id request another presentation, and there hed be at the appointed time and location. He was busy with paying gigs but would always find a way to carve out space for us. Amazingly, I still didnt know much about Frank. His primary pursuer during those youthful days on the run, Special Agent Joe Shea (the inspiration for Carl Hanratty in the movie), had long since retired, and most folks in the Bureau by then simply didnt know who Frank was. Meanwhile, he was barnstorming the country as a speaker, consultant, and general adviser, winning over clients with his anti-fraud messaging and amazing con-man past. Then, at a conference in San Diego, he gave me a copy of his book, Catch Me If You Can, and an audiocassette by the same name recounting his life story. I cant count how many times I listened to that tape, but each time the message was incredibly authentic and mesmerizing, and a mere prelude to what the movie would become.

Franks commitment to providing these presentations never ceased. He conveyed his wisdom in fighting fraudin ways only he could conveyto thousands of FBI and other federal agents. Everyone wanted to learn from him; even Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks attended a session in preparation for their upcoming film roles. Then the movie came out, and his popularity and demand skyrocketed to the stratosphere. At home and internationally, companies, banks, protection groupseveryonewanted a piece of Frank. But still, he was always there whenever I called asking for another favor.

Of course, the criminal landscape has changed dramatically since our check fraud days, and Frank has continued to change and adapt to the new challenges as well. He was one of the first to anticipate the acceleration and personal devastation caused by identity theft and, ultimately, the many cyber risks attached to so many white-collar crimes we see today, which youll read much more about in these pages.

People see the film, the antics, the cons, and the jail time and ask, What is the real Frank Abagnale like? Well, I can tell you that hes certainly brilliant to have pulled off all those capers, but more important, hes one of the most gracious, humble, and soft-spoken people youll ever meet. Case in point: A decade or so after first meeting Frank, Id risen to the position of assistant director of training, including heading the FBI Academy, in Quantico, Virginia. One morning, I headed upstairs to greet the latest batch of new recruits on their first day and officially swear them in as new FBI agents in training.

The classrooms are tiered, and the new agent hires sit in alphabetical order. After reciting the oath, they sat back down, and I glanced at the name card of the first new agent to my left. Scott Abagnale. At the time, I knew Frank had three sons, but I didnt remember their names and jokingly asked if he was related to Frank. Hes my dad, came the reply, and the room burst into laughter. Obviously, the joke was on me. Wait till I talk to him, I warned, head shaking. But of course, that was Frank, not wanting any special treatment or recognition for his son. Sixteen weeks later, Id have the honor of being on the graduation stage with Scott and his classmates as then-Director Robert Mueller gave them their official Special Agent oath of office. It was one of the proudest days of Franks life.