Americans lose billions of dollars to scams every year.
Frank Abagnale, a reformed con artist and author of "Scam Me If You Can," was famously portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2002 movie "Catch Me If You Can." He now works as a private consultant, author and public speaker with the goal of preventing fraud.
Abagnale hasn't worked as a con man in over 40 years, but he says every scam, no matter how sophisticated, still boils down to the same old tricks.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
Whether it involves a fast-talking con artist or a random message on social media, almost every scam will have at least one of two red flags.
More from Invest in You:
What hiring managers want to see in your social profile
The secret to getting your resume past the robot rejections
These people in their 30s are doing a simple thing to get rich
SIGN UP: Money 101 is an 8-week learning course to financial freedom, delivered weekly to your inbox. For the Spanish version, Dinero 101, click here.
Money Report
Disclosure: NBCUniversal and Comcast Ventures are investors in Acorns.