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Summary: Informative follow-up to "Catch Me If You Can"
Review: "Art of the Steal" is an informative book from master confidence man Frank Abagnale. It begins as a sequel to Abagnale's "Catch Me If You Can" (filling in the years between the end of the first book and Abagnale's reinvention as a fraud-prevention guru), and quickly becomes a sort of reference book and strategy guide, enumerating numerous prevalent financial scams, and describing sensible techniques for preventing fraud. Abagnale speaks at length about check, credit-card and ATM fraud, counterfeit designer apparel and consumer goods, Internet-based fraud, and security features of modern U.S. currency. The book is well-organized, with plenty of anecdotes throughout (the most entertaining is a phone scam in which somebody uses a 1-900 area code to achieve dubious results). Overall, "Art of the Steal" is not quite as much fun as "Catch Me If You Can", but it's an admirable effort nonetheless. This is a more business-minded book, where you'll find lots of good information, if it's the sort of information you're looking for.
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Summary: This book changed my view on the world
Review: A good book but I saw nothing that common sense would not tell you! The author seemed a bit paranoid regarding mailing bills and having them snatched from your mail box.
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Summary: A former con man describes common frauds and scams.
Review: Frank Abagnale gained notoriety in his youth as a master forger and imposter. He passed over two million dollars of phony checks and he pretended to be a doctor, a lawyer and an airline pilot during his successful crime spree. Abagnale described his misdeeds in his first book, "Catch Me If You Can." After years on the run, Abagnale was finally caught and he served prison time. Finally, he decided to give up his criminal ways and he is now making more money than he ever did as a criminal. For twenty-five years, Abagnale has been a "fraud prevention specialist." He helps businesses to recognize and prevent common types of fraud. In his new book, "The Art of the Steal," Abagnale explains that fraud is big business and everyone is affected by it. The billions lost by businesses as a result of fraud are partially recovered by raising consumer prices. Fraud is more common today than ever before, with the growth of the Internet and other forms of modern technology. Today, it is easier than ever to print checks that look like the real thing and to create false identity papers. In addition to counterfeit money, counterfeit goods (including medicines and baby formulas) flood the market. Ponzi and pyramid schemes and other investment scams are still going strong. Why is "The Art of the Steal" an important book for consumers and businessmen? Unfortunately, most people are complacent about security issues, and we don't take even the most obvious steps to protect ourselves from frauds and scams. Abagnale encourages us to be more careful about giving away important personal information over the Internet or the telephone. He warns us to shred personal papers before throwing them in the trash, and to be aware that if an offer appears too good to be true, that it probably is a scam. He also explains how businesses can avoid becoming the victims of embezzlers. Statistics show that embezzlers steal over $100 billion dollars a year from their employers. The only negative I have about "The Art of the Steal" is that it is written in a dry and pedestrian manner, with a number of grammatical mistakes that the editor did not catch. However, the quality of the writing aside, "The Art of the Steal" is a worthwhile book. Considering the necessity of protecting ourselves from the myriad types of fraud and scams that are out there today, it is important for all of us to be more knowledgeable and circumspect about security issues.
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Summary: Strong medicine in sweet sauce
Review: I typically read and review books on digital security. I bought "The Art of the Steal" (TAOTS) after being captivated by "Catch Me If You Can." TAOTS is an incredible book, but not because it is a masterpiece of English literature. Rather, TAOTS is an amazing and personalized tour of a seedy underworld where ingenuity serves evil purposes. In this dark economy, criminals prey on the ignorance, greed, or benevolence of their victims. It's worth taking the time to read TAOTS, because it can help prevent you becoming a victim. I simply couldn't imagine some of the scams Abagnale explains. The audacity of the criminal mind cannot be underestimated. The author's discussions of check fraud, embezzlement, and creative ways to cheat retailers astounded me. His explanation of counterfeiting currency was especially prescient, as this week the US Treasury announced multicolor $20 bills. I wonder if Abagnale was consulted? Although I really enjoyed the book, I gave it four stars. Abagnale should have included citations for his fraud stories. Otherwise, how can one be sure the tales are fact and not fiction? I would have also like a "lessons learned" or "best practices" summary at the end of each chapter. Nevertheless, I echo Tom Hank's recommend that everyone who has money should read TAOTS.
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Summary: A must-read for everyone, including digital security pros
Review: I typically read and review books on digital security. I bought "The Art of the Steal" (TAOTS) after being captivated by "Catch Me If You Can." TAOTS is an incredible book, but not because it is a masterpiece of English literature. Rather, TAOTS is an amazing and personalized tour of a seedy underworld where ingenuity serves evil purposes. In this dark economy, criminals prey on the ignorance, greed, or benevolence of their victims. It's worth taking the time to read TAOTS, because it can help prevent you becoming a victim. I simply couldn't imagine some of the scams Abagnale explains. The audacity of the criminal mind cannot be underestimated. The author's discussions of check fraud, embezzlement, and creative ways to cheat retailers astounded me. His explanation of counterfeiting currency was especially prescient, as this week the US Treasury announced multicolor $20 bills. I wonder if Abagnale was consulted? Although I really enjoyed the book, I gave it four stars. Abagnale should have included citations for his fraud stories. Otherwise, how can one be sure the tales are fact and not fiction? I would have also like a "lessons learned" or "best practices" summary at the end of each chapter. Nevertheless, I echo Tom Hank's recommend that everyone who has money should read TAOTS.
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Summary: From the horses mouth
Review: The Art of the Steal by Frank W. Abagnale is a must have for anyone with money. Abagnale, recently of "Catch Me If You Can" movie fame, was one of the youngest and most successful con-men of our time. After serving time and leaving the dark side for good, Abagnale reformed into the anti-criminal. This book uncovers the world's most common scams and describes ways to prevent them. The key word here is prevention. Among the frauds that Abagnale describes are: credit card fraud, check fraud, embezzlement, counterfeit fraud, ATM fraud, brand-name fraud, and for all of you reading this, Internet fraud. He also discusses Indentity theft as the most important fraudulent trend of the 21st century. I particulary enjoyed the dry and often humorous tone of this book. It is so typical of Abagnale. If I had one complaint about the book it would be that there were not enough preventive measures discussed. I wanted more. Did this book change the way I live my life? Absolutely. I have changed many of my practices to help prevent fraud in my daily dealings. A book that can motivate someone to do that, has to have value. When it comes down to preventing fraud, knowledge is key. I therefore recommend this book to all. May we become smarter, more aware, and minimize the impact of fraud in our lives.
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Summary: From the horses mouth
Review: The Art of the Steal by Frank W. Abagnale is a must have for anyone with money. Abagnale, recently of "Catch Me If You Can" movie fame, was one of the youngest and most successful con-men of our time. After serving time and leaving the dark side for good, Abagnale reformed into the anti-criminal. This book uncovers the world's most common scams and describes ways to prevent them. The key word here is prevention. Among the frauds that Abagnale describes are: credit card fraud, check fraud, embezzlement, counterfeit fraud, ATM fraud, brand-name fraud, and for all of you reading this, Internet fraud. He also discusses Indentity theft as the most important fraudulent trend of the 21st century. I particulary enjoyed the dry and often humorous tone of this book. It is so typical of Abagnale. If I had one complaint about the book it would be that there were not enough preventive measures discussed. I wanted more. Did this book change the way I live my life? Absolutely. I have changed many of my practices to help prevent fraud in my daily dealings. A book that can motivate someone to do that, has to have value. When it comes down to preventing fraud, knowledge is key. I therefore recommend this book to all. May we become smarter, more aware, and minimize the impact of fraud in our lives.
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Summary: Interesting easy read
Review: The book introduces some ingenious saper concepts to the first-time reader...scams that would escape a common man's creative thinking process. However, I do feel that Mr. Abagnale, given his expertise in the area, could have done a better job at explaining certain ideas to the reader, and not assume that it has been understood. Having said that, I still think the book is a good easy read. My takeaway is that while it is important to exercise common sense, it is even more imperative NOT to become paranoid and let the incidents in the book completely dictate your life.
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Summary: Good information; especially useful for business owners
Review: The book provides a lot of information that businesses will find useful in preventing fraud, and provides tips for individuals as well. Even if you don't care about preventing theft, the book is worth reading just to hear about some of the scams that people have perfected over the years.
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Summary: Great Overview of the World of Financial Fraud
Review: This book, written by "Catch Me If You Can" author Frank Abagnale Jr., is a well written treatise on some of the potential dangers that face us in today's world. The greatest danger is that of financial fraud (so called "white collar" crime). This book presents a very easy read to a somewhat complex subject. Mr. Abagnale provides a great overview of the types of fraud that are out there, how many fraud scams work, and how to protect yourself. While it may seem that the book sometimes borders a bit on the paranoid, I would agree with Mr. Abagnale that fraud is the fastest growing crime in America today. There are an awful lot of folks out there who would love to get their hands on your money and they'll do whatever it takes to get it. I found very facinating the various ways that scam artists are looking to lighten your pocketbook, as well as the pocketbooks of their employers. This is a very fast read and very informative and comes highly recommended!
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