so you can avoid being arrestedj, she needs to send $1,000 to the courthouse immediately.
The Takeaway
Caller ID can be manipulated.
[00:00:04] After I did that, then I hung up, then I realized what had happened.
I started playing it back inmy head.
I said, no, this doesn’t make any sense.
[00:00:11] HOST: Most of us know that jury duty is just a fact of life.
If this makes you suspicious, you are right to be.
It’s a scam.
Frank, thanks for joining us once again.
[00:00:52] Frank Abagnale: Great to be back.
[00:01:11] Frank Abagnale: That’s constantly.
The minute they know who I am and they all have had a scam.
[00:01:30] Frank Abagnale: No, there’s new scams.
[00:02:05] Frank Abagnale: It’s, it’s really a thousand times easier.
They were people who gained your confidence.
[00:02:17] HOST: What about Dirty Rotten Scoundrels?
Have you ever seen that movie?
[00:02:20] Frank Abagnale: I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it.
[00:02:21] HOST: With Steve Martin.
[00:02:21] Frank Abagnale: No.
[00:02:22] HOST: Watch it.
It’s great actually, it’s with Michael Caine.
[00:02:28] HOST: You don’t have time.
[00:04:14] HOST: Didyou run into that?
I’m going to go in here and cash a $500 check.
It’s not going to ruinthis bank, okay?
And if you asked the teller, they said, I don’t know, youknow?
And so, so I went to the library, cause I wanted to know, what are thesenumbers?
“I was talking to youabout those Corvettes and stuff.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Igot another one of those cashiers' checks.”
Well, in the teller’s mind ithad to clear.
It’s been 10 days, so that check was good, I’ll cash this checkfor you.
They have no concept of what the numbers mean onthe check.
[00:07:39] FrankAbagnale: I’m sure there were.
Socertainly, technology’s made what I did a lot, lot easier.
[00:08:34] FrankAbagnale: That was in France.
[00:08:34] HOST:That’s where you ended up.
“Oh no, I closedown, I go to Southern France for two weeks.”
So, then I got intothe print shop.
[00:10:02] HOST: Weare so lucky to have you.
That’sa big one, right?
[00:10:19] FrankAbagnale: Right, yeah, absolutely.
[00:10:20] HOST: Andit’s a phone call.
I’m going to introduce you to Martha this week.
We need totalk to you about a warrant, and nothing to alarm you about.
But we would liketo talk to you.
Here’s our number, yo call us back."
[00:11:03] Martha: Igot the message.
I didn’t think much about it.
Didn’t think about it.
I didn’tthink about it.
I called the number.
[00:11:31] Martha: Itsounds like, yes.
[00:11:31] HOST: Theso-called sheriff.
[00:11:33] Martha:The so-called sergeant from police, from the police department.
[00:11:44] Martha: Hesays that this is Sergeant So and So.
I said I would like to speak to SergeantSo and So.
And the person says, “Let me transfer you.”
And when I transferred,that’s when then I was, I got this voicemail.
So to me, that was authentic.
[00:12:14] HOST: Sheeventually got a call back from the sergeant.
Over the phone he told her shehad missed jury duty and they had a warrant out for her.
[00:12:30] HOST: Heasked that of you?
[00:12:32] Martha:Yes.
No, no, he didn’t ask me.
[00:12:34] HOST: Oh,he told you, right.
[00:12:41] HOST:Right.
And hesaid, “This is the new law in Florida.”
[00:13:12] HOST: Oh,the new law.
[00:13:58] Martha:Yes.
Yes, he said that a lawyer would cost you much more money than if you paidthe summons.
[00:14:04] HOST: Andso much was the summon and what happened next?
[00:14:16] HOST: Orwhat?
[00:14:29] HOST: Ohmy goodness.
[00:14:43] Martha:Yes.
[00:14:49] HOST:Which at that point you were eager to do.
[00:14:55] HOST: Whatdid he sound like?
[00:15:13] HOST:Right.
[00:15:15] Martha: Hewas overly nice.
[00:15:15] HOST: Soyou’re saying he was a little overly friendly, I got it.
[00:15:18] Martha:Yes.
[00:15:20] HOST:Here’s where things start to get weird.
He tells her to go to a Winn-Dixieabout 15 minutes away and get a money order.
But she’s supposed to stay on theline the whole time.
[00:15:40] Martha:Yes.
[00:16:33] Martha:Yes.
Yes, you would think that, yes.
[00:16:45] HOST:Okay.
And for,and the place, “and here’s the number.
Here’s the address and come to thepolice station.”
And he said, I said, “Why?”
He said to me,“So you’re able to bring the cards.”
It is best that you mail thesecards to us."
[00:17:44] Martha: Ohyes, yes.
Uh-huh, I think so.
I think it was his plan because the address he gave me for thepolice station is a real address.
[00:18:03] Martha:Yes.
Yes, about that.
[00:18:04] HOST:Okay.
[00:18:05] Martha:Could be, could be that.
[00:18:13] HOST: Sodid you go to some address two days later?
[00:18:16] Martha:No.
because after I did that, then I hung up, then I realized what hadhappened.
[00:18:20] HOST: Howdid you realize?
What, what happened?
[00:18:22] Martha:Then I started playing it back in my head.
I started playing it back in myhead.
I said, no, this doesn’t make any sense.
[00:18:30] HOST: Andwhat, what did that feel like?
Were you starting… it seems like youve beenrelatively calm so far because you’re taking care of something.
[00:18:38] Martha:Then, it felt like, I felt violated.
I felt like, I felt I got, I was angry.
Iwas, I mean I just felt like this person invaded my life.
[00:18:58] HOST:Sure.
[00:18:59] Martha:Because I let this person you know, talk me into driving so far.
And I said, you know, he probably got them from online.
[00:19:26] HOST:Martha didn’t get the money back despite reaching out to authorities.
[00:19:41] HOST: Talkto us about your emotions throughout all this.
And I felt, I feltvulnerable.
[00:20:12] HOST: Youkind of lose your faith in people a little bit, I imagine.
[00:20:14] Martha:Uh-huh, yes, I did.
I didn’t tell, I didn’ttalk to anybody else.
And who knows where he was.
It’s like having FrankAbagnale at AARP 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
[00:23:48] HOST:There you go.
If only Martha had picked up the phone and called the Fraud WatchNetwork.
[00:24:08] FrankAbagnale: Yeah, I think so.
So it’s a matter of taking a few minutes to check itout.
There’s nothing wrong with taking that moment to verify something so youdon’t part with your money.
Is that howthey’re primarily done?
Uh, you know, and…
[00:27:10] HOST:Where do you buy that?
I wouldn’t listen to the messages that, that are out there.
Well, it’s the same way with criminals.
[00:28:33] FrankAbagnale: Right, and selling information.
[00:28:36] HOST:Alright.
There is a fee you have to pay.Not there’s a warrant.
That’s the easiest thing, because people so easily go, well no, let mejust pay that.
Can I pay that on the phone with my credit card and I’d a gottenthe credit card out?
Is that a term that you’ve heard?
[00:31:57] Frank Abagnale: That’s not going to happen.
Jen Beam manages the Fraud Watch data pipe Facebook page.
And the fraud this week we’re talking about with Jen, is puppy scams, right Jen?
[00:32:12] Jen Beam:That’s true.
[00:32:13] HOST: Isthis a real…
[00:32:14] Jen Beam: Yeah.
[00:32:14] HOST: I don’t even like to say those words together.
So what are people, how are people getting scammed with puppies?
[00:32:20] Jen Beam:Oh it’s terrible.
It’s adoptablefor free to a loving home.
They really make it look very legitimate.
And then it all starts, so then you’ve got delays, you’ve got surprise additional fees.
And you just never get the dog.
[00:33:49] Jen Beam:Thank you so much, Will.
(MUSIC OUTRO)
[00:34:01] HOST:Alright, everyone.
[00:34:09] FrankAbagnale: It was great being with you.
[00:33:32] HOST: Andgreat stories too, as always.
[00:34:11] FrankAbagnale: Thanks.
Alright, many thanks to our producers, Julie Getzand Brook Ellis.
Our audio engineer, Julio Gonzales, and of course, my cohost, Frank Abagnale.
