Frank Abagnale, the former con man who was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2002 film "Catch Me If You Can," says such policies are a waste of money.

"As far as I'm concerned, the entire idea is really a scam," he writes in his new book. "The insurance is cheap because the losses to the victim are usually small. They put restrictions on how much you can claim in lost wages -- for instance, $500 a week for four weeks."

The insurance gives you a false sense of security, and some consumers end up buying coverage that's already included in their homeowners' policies, "giving them two worthless policies," Abagnale says.

Interest.com's checklist for protecting yourself against identity theft can make it far more difficult for anyone to make you a victim.