‘Catch Me If You Can’ reformed con man Frank Abagnale says seniors especially vulnerable to scams

This summer, Abagnale published a new book, Scam Me If You Can: Simple Strategies to Outsmart Today’s Ripoff Artists. About five years ago, he said in an interview, AARP asked its 38 million members what their concerns were, and chief among them were identity theft, romance scams, and other crimes against seniors.

The lobbying group approached Abagnale to write the book and speak to its members across the country.

The internet has changed everything about fraud, he said. “It’s easy to scam people from far away, especially if the criminals pretend to be from a legitimate company such as Microsoft, Bank of America, or the Social Security Administration.”

There are two basic red flags to every scam, Abagnale said. “First, I’m going to ask you to send me money — and you have to do it immediately, via credit card, or wire, or bank account number. Some even tell people to stay on the phone and go down to Walmart and get a GreenDot card,” he said.

Second, they ask you for information. “Even your caller ID can be manipulated. They call you and say they need to verify you have your card in your possession and to read the last three digits. No bank does that.”

Romance scams of the elderly are rampant. “One woman gave a man she met online $178,000. He claimed to live a few states away, but he lived in Greece, not in America. He was doing the same thing with 20 women.”

Social media: “I don’t use it, and I’m never on it. Once someone has your full name and your birthday, they’re well on their way to stealing your identity.”

Cryptocurrency, he said, is “just another scam, a way of laundering and hiding money. It’s extremely unsafe and risky. Avoid it. Last year, the U.S. closed down 112 exchanges that were fraudulent. Anyone can hack into the crypto accounts and steal assets — even Facebook’s new Libra.”