From banking scams to property scams, we’ve seen our fair share of cons play out over the course of 2019.

Most recently, VICE uncovered a national Airbnb scam in America.

Closer to home, in Cape Town, a romance scam syndicate estimated to have netted in excess of R4 billion was uncovered when a number of women came forward to tell their stories.

The creativity that goes into conning people out of their cash or personal information is mind-blowing, and reformed con artist Frank Abagnale knows a thing or two about how to run a scam.

You’ll recognise the name from the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank.

Abagnale, a master criminal, decided to use his powers for good and now works as a private consultant, author, and public speaker with the goal of preventing fraud, reports CNBC.

His extensive experience on both sides of the tracks makes him an expert in how to avoid being taken for a ride.

Abagnale thinks technology is only making it easier for scammers to operate today. “What I did 50 years ago is 4,000 times easier to do today,” Abagnale said.

He personally does not use social media and said it can be a potential gold mine for any scammers looking to make you a victim.

According to Abagnale, fraudsters aren’t digging through your social media for random clues about your passwords. Instead, he identifies these three things that could make you vulnerable.

Skip ahead to the one-minute mark for the good bits:

It might be time to check those privacy settings on Facebook.

[source:cnbc]