El Paso Herald-Post from El Paso, Texas • 25

EL PASO HERALD-POST Thursday February 22 1979 Ex-con man tells tricks of trade United Way sets funding was in one of the largest maximum security federal prisons in the country for two weeks when I impersonated a prison inspector and walked out right past the machine guns and guards" the highly personable Abagnale grinned HIS JOB HERE last night in which he was sponsored by the El Paso chapter of the American Banking Association was to show tellers and other bank and retail store clerks how to cut down on bad checks "There are two different kinds of people who pass bad checks Abagnale said explaining he meant the professional is out to rip you off intentionally not the housewife or guy who just wants to write a check for a few bucks then beat the check to the bank to make it good" is the professional who his check to the teller or checkout employee Then there is the confidence man who 'sells' himself The employee probably never even sees what is written on the check" HE PROVED THIS theory by showing a few checks that actually passed with outrageous signatures that meant nothing courtesy booths in supermarkets all over the US cash 60 percent of the bad checks passed in the country today" Abagnale said and explained with just a few hours of real training the costs can be cut tremendously comes in buys a pack of cigarettes asks to cash a $20 check signs it and hands it to the check-out girl She looks at the check but she know what she is looking for She hands it to an even bigger dummy the manager He looks at it initials it and the guy walks out with a pack of cigarettes and change for a $20 check that is worthless" Abagnale said TRAINED teller can look at a check and in just three seconds" he said snapping his fingers for emphasis can tell if it is a good check or an extremely risky one" He told of a 17-year-old girl working in a large bank in Houston as a distributive education student who took a large check from a well-dressed man went through the three steps smiled at the man then pushed the silent alarm button under her cage window bank's internal security pco- ple came out she nodded at them and they arrested the guy on the spot "THE BANK manager came storming out livid and demanded to know what she a two-week employee meant by having an obviously good customer arrested stood her ground Subsequent investigation of the check revealed the check was totally worthless young lady is no longer a teller she is the assistant to the check verification officer at that Abagnale said ARE 400000 hot checks passed every business day in the US" Abagnale said and told the audience his job to make kou know as much about your own job as the con man knows about it" Every bank check in the US has certain identical characteristics with the exception of US Treasury Department checks Abagnale said HE ATTRIBUTED the rise in recent years of check fraud in part to a highly popular and easy available color copying machine that can be found in many public locations Abagnale is a reformed man now Frank Abagnale out of prison on parole working hand-in-hand with the Establishment He is sharp quick and highly confident As the lecture ended with a few very funny stories from his past you realized Abagnale could walk out of the lecture hall and in three days pick up $200000 right here in El Paso with just his fountain pen You wonder if prison killed the old insolence and challenge that must lie beneath the surface of men like Frank Abagnale wonder if he feels the same temptation every time he passes a bank a reformed alcoholic does when he passes a bar LL 1 4-PC FRENCH PROVINCIAL SUITE WITH QUEEN OR FULL SIZE SEALY BEDDING BED FRAME 54995 beauty with deeply carved front and tapered cabriole leg Finished in white and accented with gold trim with aoRd cate high-ptenure laminated terns Include: Triple PRICES VALID FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ONLY! Shear Drawer with Mirror Ful or Queen size Headboard and Night Stand Matching Four Drawer Chest 12995 THE Board of Directors of United Way of El Paso met yesterday to de- cide how to divide more than $2 million collected in the 1979 campaign The allocations approved yesterday show 29 of the 39 member agencies re-' cciving some increased fundirig But the allocations are contingent on United Way being able to raise $2115000 by March 31 According to Dick Lewin that means collecting an other $35000 in the next six weeks Lewin said the board has accepted that it will not meet its goal for the year of $2350000 Due to the rising demand for services and inflation Lewin said some agencies receiving increases will still-bc limited in serving all the persons who are in need Lewin said some redirection of emphasis is indicated by the allocation with portions of income set aside for specific services Examples of this he said are requests for genetic counseling for sickle cell anemia by the El Paso Rehabilitation Center and the Information and Referral Service at the Red Cross 2-DAYS ONLY! 95 2-DAYS ONLY! 'hi By BILL THOMPSON Frank Abagnalc told several hundred bank employees in a talk here last night a "check-passer is not smarter than you are he just knows a lot more about your job than you do" Abagnale who passed $25 million in bad checks between the ages of 16 and 21 told his audience white collar crime annually in the US a $40-billion business a terribly crippling crime on the nation's economy" THE POPULAR SPEAKER who has appeared on numerous celebrity television programs and now operates his own consulting firm which advises banks and other businesses on how to cut down on check-passing crimes is only 30 years old but he can look back on a fabulous career of high finance travel wine women and song and prison He successfully masqueraded as an airline pilot worked as chief pediatrician at a large hospital passed the bar examination of a large Southern state and became an aide to that state's attorney general before he was caught in a little town in France and sent to prison Even then he perpetrated a con Insurance rate hike considered Herald PoM Aualui Baicav AUSTIN Homeowners in the El Paso area would pay more for homeowner coverage under proposals being considered by the State Board of Insurance Both the SBI staff and the Texas Insurance Advisory Association (which represents the insurance industry) have proposed increases in homeowners insurance in the Central Inland Rating terriroty That rating territory one of three used for homeowners and extended coverage includes El Paso County The three-member board will decide whether to adopt the recommendations of its staff of the TIAA or to reject both and adopt different figures The changes proposed for the Central Inland Rating Territory include the following with the SBI proposals followed by the TIAA proposals: Homeowners plus 52 percent plus 68 percent (statewide average minus 29 percent minus 46 percent) Farm and ranch owners minus 78 percent minus 33 percent (statewide average minus 51 percent minus 51 034:35) Fire statewide plus 14 percent plus 14 percent For dwellings minus 19 percent minus 21 percent for farms plus 31 percent plus 61 percent For all other plus 38 percent plus 38 percent Extended coverage minus 85 percent minus 74 percent statewide average minus 135 percent minus 126 percent There are seven categories under extended coverage depending on the type of construction used Virginia Dyer dies at 62 Mrs Virginia Dyer who was born in El Paso died Feb 3 in her home in Pacific Palisades Calif Mrs Dyer was born in 1917 Her parents were Mr and Mrs Henry Clay Dyer She was graduated from The Texas College of Mines now the University of Texas at El Paso was a member and past president of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority member of the McDowell Gub and studied piano at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester NY She was a member of the El Paso Riding and Driving Gub and a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Colonial Dames of the 17th Century She is survived by two sons Christopher Dy-gert Boston and Culver Dygert Kansas Gty Mo a sister Betty Corder arid her mother Elizabeth Dyer of El From and accented eludes: board One with Suita hardware size f'f-V ONLY CHOOSE ANY BEDROOM SHOWN Fl'IA OR QUEEN BEDDING SET WITH STEEL BED FRAME AT UNION: 2-DAYS ONLY Ovm Sat an RANCH STYLE 4-PIECE BEDROOM SUITE 5 2-DAYS TOWN 4-PIECE BEDROOM SUITE Modem style bedroom with revolutionary new finish resistant to normal daily use to normal bumps scratches and spilt A A Vqw Plus a new crisp and dean design that makes I exdtinal Includes Triple Dresser Mirror Ful or Queen size Head- UViiAi rB board and Nite Stand 5-Drawer Chest 8995 JL JL California a different new ityie with the charm warmth A A homines of the great Southwest In light chestnut color Im II Dll with the effect of trapi bucket and studs In- Uk Til Triple Dresser with Mirror Full or Queen size Head- A and Nite Stand 5-Drawer Chest9995 A 'I i A A fi A A A A A 4 A A A -ft A A A A 1 4 A A 1 A A A EARLY AMERICAN 4-PIECE BEDROOM SUITE SPANISH STYLE 4-PIECE BEDROOM SUITE of our newest bedrooms! Now make your homo even more beautiful a new touch of alamor and romance found in this Spanish stylo group has oak ton finish carved effect fronts and bran finished accents Includes: Triple Dresser Mirror Chest and Ful or Queen Headboard Nite Stand 6995 Rugged and sturdy with dean simple lines Made with all wood construction with grained effect In pine color Includes: Triple Dresser with hutch mirror Ful or Queen size Headboard and Nile Stand Don't min out shop UNION Friday and Saturday! 5-Drawer Chest 10995.