Technology a fraudster’s best friend, says reformed con artist Frank Abagnale
As con artist turned anti-fraud expert, Frank Abagnale, has a unique perspective on the fight against fraud and cybercrime.
A man who infamously tricked his way on to numerous flights as a fake off-duty airline pilot while still a teen, Abagnale concedes charisma and well-honed acting skills are no longer a pre-requisite for the would-be confidence trickster.
Technology, Abagnale says, makes it much easier to pull off a scam, both in its simplicity and scale.
“What I did 50 years ago as a teenage boy is 4,000 times easier to do today because of technology. Technology breeds crime. It always has and always will,” Abagnale said.
He cites technology advances through the prominence of the sharing economy and social media as a tool to easily create false identities with few personal details that can be verified.
Most major fraud nowadays is perpetrated without any human contact as it can all be done remotely online from the other side of the world.
This is especially true in the travel industry sharing economy where trust still plays a key role.
Abagnale, taking time out recently during a visit to London to speak with government officials about the fight against fraud, says although huge sums of money are being invested in cybersecurity, people will always be the biggest risk.
“The technology works but we’re always dealing with that weakest link, the human beings.”
He has written numerous books on his short but very successful life of crime, helps develop anti-fraud software, and speaks regularly on fraud issues at conferences.
Abagnale achieved folk hero status after his exploits were made into the 2002 Steven Spielberg movie ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Since the 1970s he has been working with the FBI to combat the growing menace of fraud, and has seen at first hand how the landscape has changed.
Where Abagnale himself used to pass off dud checks to fund his globetrotting lifestyle, now all it takes is a little creative criminal intent and a click of a mouse.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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