Frank Abagnale

Frank William Abagnale, Jr. (English: Frank William Abagnale, Jr.; April 27, 1948 -) is an American security consultant who was famous for his experience in forging checks, impersonating identities, defrauding trust, and escaping in his early years. In the 1960s, in the five years since Frank Abagnale was 16 years old, he forged $2.5 million in checks in 26 countries and was wanted by many countries. He later claimed that he assumed no less than eight identities in the process, including a Pan Am pilot, a teacher, a doctor, a Federal Bureau of Prisons employee, and a lawyer, and that he escaped from detention twice, all before he was 21 years old. He spent less than five years in a U.S. prison before being released and working for the U.S. federal government. He currently serves as a consultant and instructor at FBI Academy and field offices. He also founded Abagnale & Associates, a financial fraud consulting firm. In 1980, Abagnale published his autobiography "Catch Me if You Can", which described his fraud experience in the first person. In 2002, Spielberg directed the film "Cat and Mouse" based on Abagnale's story. A musical with the same name was also staged in 2011.