Frank Abagnale

Frank Abagnale
Abagnale in 2008
Born
Frank William Abagnale Jr.

(1948-04-27) April 27, 1948 (age 76)
Bronxville, New York, U.S.
CitizenshipUnited States, France
OccupationSecure document consultant
Criminal charge(s)Auto larceny, theft, forgery, fraud
Criminal penalty
  • 4 months in a French prison
  • 4 months in a Swedish prison
  • 3 years, 3 months, and 7 days in a US federal prison
  • 3 years in Great Meadow Correctional Facility, NY (age 17–20)

Frank William Abagnale Jr. (/ˈæbəɡneɪl/; born April 27, 1948) is an American security consultant, author, and convicted felon who committed frauds that mainly targeted individuals and small businesses.[1][2][3] He later gained notoriety in the late 1970s by claiming a diverse range of workplace frauds,[4] many of which have since been placed in doubt.[5][6][7] 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.[8]

Abagnale claims to have worked as an assistant state attorney general in the U.S. state of Louisiana, served as a hospital physician in Georgia, and impersonated a Pan American World Airways pilot who logged over two million air miles by deadheading.[4] The veracity of most of Abagnale's claims has been questioned, and ongoing inquiries continue to confirm that they were fabricated.[9][10] In 2002, Abagnale admitted on his website that some facts had been overdramatized or exaggerated, though he was not specific about what was exaggerated or omitted about his life.[11] In 2020, journalist Alan C. Logan provided evidence he claims proves the majority of Abagnale's story was invented or at best exaggerated.[5][6][7] The public records obtained by Logan have since been independently verified by journalist Javier Leiva.[12]

  1. ^ "Clipped From The Herald Statesman". The Herald Statesman. July 16, 1965. p. 26. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b "Abagnale's First Lecture With New Biography". The Galveston Daily News. January 25, 1977. p. 1. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Logan, Alan C. (2020). The Greatest Hoax on Earth: Catching Truth, While We Can. Indiana Landmarks. ISBN 9781736197417. OCLC 1253312173.
  6. ^ a b Well, Thomas (April 6, 2021). "New book further debunks myth of scam artist Frank Abagnale, Jr. of 'Catch Me if You Can' book and movie". Louisiana Voice. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Lopez, Zavier (April 23, 2021). "Could this famous con man be lying about his story? A new book suggests he is". WHYY-TV. Archived from the original on February 8, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference a&a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Stringfellow, Jonathan; DeMarco-Jacobson, Jessica (June 24, 2021). "Infamous American Fraudster Frank Abagnale to speak at upcoming CSU event". The Uproar. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  10. ^ McNeilly, Claire (July 2, 2021). "Northern Ireland man exposes 'Catch Me If You Can' as work of fiction". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  11. ^ Baker, Bob (December 28, 2002). "The truth? Just try to catch it if you can". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  12. ^ "The Real Catch Me If You Can (part 1)". Pretend Podcast. July 6, 2022. Archived from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.