Check scams come in many forms. It could start with someone offering to buy something you advertised in the newspaper, on Craigslist, or eBay. Or someone could offer to pay you to do work at home, give you an “advance” on a sweepstake you’ve supposedly won, or pay the first …

In the 2002 Oscar-nominated movie “Catch Me if You Can,” the audience meets one of the greatest con artists of the 1960s, Frank Abagnale (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). In addition to faking his identity and several professions (e.g., airline pilot, surgeon), Abagnale cashed over $2.5 million worth of forged checks …