Owensboro, Ky. (WFIE) -
Stopping the crime before it happens. A large crowd turned out for a fraud prevention seminar hosted by the Owensboro Police Department, US Bank and the Chamber of Commerce.
Owensboro business leaders turned out today at the River Park Center to hear one of the world's most famous fraud experts give his advice on protecting themselves and their money.
He's best known as the inspiration for the movie 'Catch Me If You Can, but the real-life Frank Abagnale says what he did decades ago is now more common.
"Crime in general has become so much easier. You know? What I did 40 years ago as a teenage boy is four thousand times easier to do today," said Abagnale.
Part of what he did included forging over $2 million in fake checks.
He now travels around the country teaching people about white collar crime.
Jessica Johnson was on hand to learn some tips.
"I think it's more every day, because people learn more about how to use computers and how to get into, you know, companies and things like that," said Johnson.
Abagnale says, "Technology tends to breed crime, and it always has and it always will, so as long as technology gets better, it also works for the criminal and makes the criminal's job a lot easier."
And that technology makes fraud a crime that can affect anyone at any time.
"This is a relative issue that touches on virtually everybody. A lot of prevention's just knowing that it's out there and protecting your information, protecting account numbers," said Fred May with US Bank.
The bottom line of the presentation is that anyone can be a victim of white collar crime.
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