NEW ORLEANS — Fans of the movie Catch Me If You Can know that it’s based on the real-life exploits of con man turned security expert Frank Abagnale.

Later this month, the man who inspired the story will be speaking in New Orleans.

Abagnale will be appearing at an event organized by AARP.  The focus of the event is preventing fraud.

It’s a topic that Abagnale knows well.  According to AARP’s announcement of his upcoming appearance, Abagnale successfully posed as a pilot, doctor, and an attorney from the ages of 16 to 21 while cashing millions of dollars in fraudulent checks.

After police caught Abagnale, he changed his ways and is now a leading expert on identity theft, embezzlement, and forgery.  He’s written books and served as a consultant to some of the largest companies in the world.

Abagnale’s AARP presentation will be Thursday, August 24, at 6:15 in the evening at the Grand Ballroom A of the Hilton Riverside New Orleans hotel.

The event is free, but you have to register to attend.  There are two ways to do that.  You can call 1-877-926-8300 or you can logon to this registration link.

Abagnale will tell the crowd about ways to spot and avoid scams.  He’s working in conjunction with AARP’s Fraud Watch Network.

In the movie, actor Leonardo DiCaprio plays the role of Abagnale.  Tom Hanks is the FBI agent who is too often just one step behind his man.  Oh, and in the end, the good guys win.

Abagnale and AARP hope that people who see the upcoming appearance will also win and learn new ways to protect their families.