Stealing your Life
Be afraid, be very afraid they are coming to steal your life, Just who they are exactly, you will probably never know. But once this plague of anonymous criminals have assimilated your identity, they will do more than just empty your bank account, they will use your details to buy, cars, boats, houses and the kind of luxury lifestyles you can only dream of—and once they have destroyed your credit worthiness, they will move on to their next victim.
So how do these criminals steal your life? Frank Catch Me If You Can Abagnale will tell you in full technicolor detail, but fist the background:
Frank is a former con artist of world class repute. Steven Spielberg made Frank’s criminal life into the movie, Catch Me If You Can starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.
Between the ages of 16 and 21, Frank posed as an airline pilot, an attorney, a college professor and a pediatrician. He cashed $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in every state in America and 26 foreign countries. Apprehended by the French police when he was 21 years old, Frank served time in the French, Swedish and U. S. prison systems. After five years he was released on the condition that he would help the federal government, without remuneration, by teaching and assisting federal law enforcement agencies.
Today, Frank is one of the world’s most respected authorities on forgery, embezzlement and secure documents. For over 35 years he has worked with, advised and consulted with hundreds of financial institutions, corporations and government agencies around the world, including the FBI.
So—how does the big con start? Well it may be the dental receptionist, the mail man, a neighbor, or even a work colleague, it might even be a criminal from the other side of the world, fact is the personal details thieves need to steal our identities are widely available if you know where to look, and the consequences of these crooks stealing your identity are wide ranging and frightening.
But fear not Crimeziners, Frank has a comprehensive action plan to prevent such fraud. He suggests for example you read your credit reports from such companies as Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, every three months, as they provide an early warning sign of identity fraud. He suggests you keep your Social Security number close—very close. He also suggests keeping track of bills, a favorite starting point for identity thieves. He also suggests a number of other useful measures, some obvious, like buying a good quality shredder, others less expected, like how and when to use cheques and credit cards.
This book is an invaluable and fascinating read. Abagnale even offers strategies for reigning in the damage, if your identity has already been compromised. Crimezine is certain that many criminals will treat this book as a how to bible, on the plus side, it will alert the unwary to a burgeoning new world of criminality.
Crimezine 