For more than four decades, Frank Abagnale has advised the FBI and other law enforcement agencies on how to outsmart con artists. He now has joined the AARP Fraud Watch Network to help consumers avoid getting ripped off. Abagnale says honest people get scammed, and there isn’t a lot of information out there to help them…

 

Abagnale took part in a presentation sponsored by AARP-South Dakota last night in Sioux Falls, talking about scams and how to avoid becoming a victim.

Abagnale says there are some steps he takes to avoid losing control of his identity…

 

Abagnale says another good tip is to use a credit card for all purchases, and avoid waiting for a rebate if there is a problem, such as recent data breaches at major retailers…

Between the ages of 16 and 21, Abagnale posed as an airline pilot, an attorney and a doctor and cashed millions of dollars in fraudulent checks. His story was told in the movie “Catch Me If You Can.”