The Art of the Steal

October 1, 2001
Former criminal imposter Abagnale (Catch Me If You Can) has been a security consultant to industry and the FBI for over 25 years. This detailed and well-written book describes many types of scams, including those involving forged checks, stolen mail, and phony credit cards. After discussing each scam, the author advises on how to avoid it and offers photos to illustrate his points. For example, he will not use a bank that will not give him back his canceled checks. He shreds all financial documents, including unsolicited credit card applications, and he checks his credit reports several times a year using two different services. The book has more of a business orientation than Kevin McKeown's Your Secrets Are My Business (LJ 10/1/99). However, McKeown covered topics such as caller ID and computer "cookies," while Abagnale skips these areas, concentrating on secure documents, counterfeit goods, and Internet fraud. The books complement each other and should be read together. For future editions, the author should tell readers how to order their credit reports, discover errors, and report fraud. A useful work on business and personal privacy. Harry Charles, Attorney at Law, St. Louis, MO

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.