Historical Figure
Frank Abagnale
b. 1948
American-French security consultant and fraudster
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Biography
Frank William Abagnale Jr. is an American-French security consultant, author, and convicted felon who committed frauds that mainly targeted individuals and small businesses. He later gained notoriety in the late 1970s by claiming a diverse range of workplace frauds, many of which have since been placed in doubt. In 1980, Abagnale co-wrote his autobiography, Catch Me If You Can, which built a narrative around these claimed frauds. The book inspired the film of the same name directed by Steven Spielberg in 2002, in which Abagnale was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. He has also written four other books. Abagnale runs Abagnale and Associates, a consulting firm.
In Their Own Words (3)
What I did in my youth is hundreds of times easier today. Technology breeds crime.
Frank Abagnale Jr. - Biography, Internet Movie Database, accessed 2008-10-12 , 2008
If my forgeries looked as bad as the CBS documents, it would have been 'Catch Me In Two Days'.
When asked his opinion of the Killian memos. , 2008
I made a lot of exits through side doors, down fire escapes or over rooftops. I abandoned more wardrobes in the course of five years than most men acquire in a lifetime. I was slipperier than a buttered escargot.
2002
Timeline
The story of Frank Abagnale, told in moments.
Started forging checks at 16. His first mark was his own father. He cashed $3,400 in bad checks using his dad's gas station credit card.
Impersonated a Pan Am pilot for two years. He flew over a million miles on forged credentials, deadheading on 250 flights. He was 18.
Arrested in Montpellier, France. He'd been caught by the French police after a tip from an Air France stewardess who recognized his face from a wanted poster.
Released from federal prison after serving 5 years. The FBI offered him a deal: help catch forgers or go back inside. He took the deal.
Catch Me If You Can released. Spielberg directed, DiCaprio starred. Abagnale consulted on set. He's spent more years catching criminals than he ever spent being one.
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