How to outsmart a scam: Strategies from legendary con man Frank W. Abagnale

Give yourself the gift of knowledge — subscribe to Big Think Edge: http://bit.ly/bigthinkedge

Frank W. Abagnale says scammers don't discriminate — here's what you can do to protect yourself.

- In today's world, anyone can be targeted by scams -- even famous con man Frank W. Abagnale. For this reason he shares his top advice for protecting yourself against fraud.

- When receiving a suspicious call, be aware of the two major red flags of immediacy and info-sharing. Is the person asking for money, and they need it right now? Does the person want sensitive personal information like a social security number or date of birth? If the answer to either of those questions is yes, it's probably a scam.

- Scammers obtain much of their info from a victim's social media accounts. Caution is key for prevention, and education is the most powerful tool in outsmarting this type of crime.

Frank W. Abagnale is one of the world's most respected authorities on the subjects of forgery, embezzlement and secure documents. Mr. Abagnale has been associated with the FBI for over four decades. He lectures extensively at the FBI Academy and for the field offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He is a faculty member at the National Advocacy Center (NAC) which is operated by the Department of Justice, Executive Office for United States Attorneys. More than 14,000 financial institutions, corporations and law enforcement agencies use his fraud prevention programs. He is the author of "Scam Me If You Can: Simple Strategies to Outsmart Today's Rip-off Artists" (https://amzn.to/2lYowGn)

If you're interested in licensing this or any other Big Think clip for commercial or private use, contact our licensing partner Executive Interviews: https://www.executiveinterviews.biz/rightsholders/bigthink/

Read more here: https://bigthink.com/videos/outsmart-a-scam

Follow Big Think here:
YouTube: http://goo.gl/CPTsV5
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BigThinkdotcom
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigthink