Frank Abagnale

Biography

Frank Abagnale Jr. (born April 27, 1948) is a renowned former con artist, check forger, and impostor whose criminal career flourished from the age of 15 to 21. His early life was marked by his parents' divorce, an event that deeply affected him and led him to start engaging in fraudulent activities. Abagnale's most notorious cons included posing as a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, and a legal prosecutor, successfully forging millions of dollars in fraudulent checks along the way. His ability to elude capture became legendary, leading to an international chase by authorities. Eventually captured, he served time in prisons in both France and Sweden, before being extradited to the United States. Remarkably, after serving less than five years of his 12-year sentence in the U.S., he was released on the condition that he would assist the federal government by teaching and implementing programs to prevent fraud. This marked the beginning of his legitimate career as a security consultant and lecturer, where he leveraged his unique insights into fraud and forgery to help businesses and the FBI for over 40 years. Abagnale's life story was popularized in the film "Catch Me If You Can," reflecting his complex journey from a cunning fraudster to a respected authority on security.