June 15 was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and a local AARP-sponsored at the University of Maryland Baltimore Campus featured an appearance by renowned scammer Frank Abagnale. Abagnale's name rose to prominence after the release of his book, "Catch Me if You Can," and the Steven Spielberg movie of the same name where he was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. He is currently touring the country as part of his five-year contract with AARP to teach their members and others how to spot and avoid scams.
The Beacon, a local Montgomery County-area publisher for readers over age 50, caught up with Abagnale before he stepped on stage to hear more about his unique perspective on credit card scams, the dangers of social media and IRS scams.
Abagnale himself doesn’t write many checks, “because if you write a check in a store, anyone who sees it along the way could order bogus checks on your account.”
If you suspect you've been a victim of a scam, you should call AARP's toll-free Fraud Watch hotline at 1-877-908-3360.
Click here to read the full article on protecting yourself and your loved ones from scams.