Frank Abagnale

Celebrity blunders and 
political scandals arguably are comedy gold. But the climbing rate of check fraud is one hot topic that's no joke.

Predictions about the demise of the paper check have been haunting the print circuit for decades. But here it is in 2010, and checks still represent the largest category of noncash payment instruments. Unfortunately, check fraud is the most dominant method of fraudulent payments and produces the greatest losses. Check fraud also continues to be one of America's least prosecuted financial crimes, posing a risk for all organizations, according to Robin Johnson, marketing and sales for Canoga Park, California-based SAFEChecks.

This check, designed by Frank Abagnale, is one of the most secure personal checks on the market. Available through SAFEChecks, the Supercheck contains 12 security features including dual-tone true watermark, thermochromatic ink, high-resolution borders, fluorescent ink, microprinting and a chemical wash detection box.

There are few security experts with the experience of Frank Abagnale. At age 16, Abagnale began to forge checks and con his way around the world. He had (and still has) a sharp eye for details, enabling him to steal millions of dollars. In his travels he impersonated airline pilots and a doctor, taught a university class and claimed to be a lawyer. On his third attempt, he passed the Louisiana bar examination, though he had never attended law school. During his criminal days, Abagnale had many encounters with police, FBI agents and law enforcement officials. He talked his way out of these situations.

Try some arresting techniques to round up document security sales By Barbara A. Bucci The bad guys are everywhere. Just read the paper or watch the evening news to learn how criminals alter all kinds of business documents. Frank Abagnale, a secure document consultant to a variety of groups, has compiled the following statistics in his 1997/1998 Client Service Bulletin Losses from check fraud exceeded $12 billion in 1996, up from $5 billion in 1993. More than $1.2 million worthless checks enter the U.S. banking system each day. Between 1990 and 1996, the number of cases involving fraudulent checks of $100,000 or more increased by 300 percent. Fortunately, manufacturers and