Frank W. Abagnale Book order (chronological)

Are you at risk of being scammed? Former con artist and bestselling author of Catch Me If You Can Frank Abagnale shows you how to stop scammers in their tracks. Maybe you're wondering how to make the scam phone calls stop. Perhaps someone has stolen your credit card number. Or you've been a victim of identity theft. Even if you haven't yet been the target of a crime, con artists are always out there, waiting for the right moment to steal your information, your money, and your life. As one of the world's most respected authorities on the subjects of fraud, forgery, and cyber security, Frank Abagnale knows how scammers work. In Scam Me If You Can, he reveals the latest tricks that today's scammers, hackers, and con artists use to steal your money and personal information--often online and over the phone. Using plain language and vivid examples, Abagnale reveals hundreds of tips, including: The best way to protect your phone from being hacked The only time you should ever use a debit card The one type of photo you should never post on social media The only conditions under which you should use WiFi networks at the airport The safest way to use an ATM With his simple but counterintuitive rules, Abagnale also makes use of his insider intel to paint a picture of cybercrimes that haven't become widespread yet.

The charismatic forger from the film Catch Me If You Can reveals the astonishing tactics of modern identity theft criminals and offers effective strategies to combat them, drawing from his experience as a fraud-fighting consultant. Alarmingly, six out of ten American companies and government agencies have been hacked, and 80 percent of birth certificate requests can be fulfilled with just a name and return address. This means someone could easily obtain your birth certificate using your name. Additionally, Americans write 39 billion checks annually, with half failing to reconcile their bank statements. On the black market, a Social Security number costs $49, a driver's license $90, and a birth certificate $79. Abagnale demonstrates how quickly he can gather personal information from law enforcement officers, highlighting the ease with which identities can be stolen and lives devastated. With a victim every four seconds, this resource is essential for understanding the latest identity theft schemes. Abagnale provides actionable steps to protect oneself, such as restricting children's access to computers used for banking, being cautious of offers that exploit greed or fear, regularly monitoring credit reports, and opting out of information sharing. Filled with entertaining yet enlightening anecdotes, this guide serves as a practical tool to defend against one of today’s most prevalent crimes.

The master imposter, forger, con artist, and best-selling author of Catch Me If You Can draws on his own personal experiences and exploits to describe the tricks of the scam trade, offering valuable advice on how to identify and outsmart perpetrators of fraud and how to safeguard oneself against identity theft, the misuse of Social Security numbers, and more. 35,000 first printing.

The incredible true story of a charming 21-year-old con artist, now adapted into a film by Steven Spielberg featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.