Abagnale Updated -

Frank Abagnale’s story endures not just because of the cleverness of his crimes, but because of the completeness of his transformation. He went from one of the world’s most wanted men to one of its most respected security experts—a true con artist who eventually used his powers for good.

Now in his 70s, Abagnale is a dedicated family man, a public speaker, and an author. His message to young people is a powerful one: crime doesn’t pay—at least not for long. He is the first to admit he was a "crook, a con man, and a thief." abagnale

He has also been a long-time consultant for the FBI, helping them catch other impostors and con artists. The agency that once hunted him now pays him for his expertise. His life story was famously adapted into the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can , starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Abagnale and Tom Hanks as the FBI agent who pursued him, Carl Hanratty (a composite character). The movie captured the glamour of his cons but also the loneliness and desperation of life on the run. Frank Abagnale’s story endures not just because of

While hiding out in a New York City diner, two French police officers, tipped off by an airline employee who recognized him, walked in and arrested him. His extradition and trial were a media circus. He served time in France’s infamous Perpignan prison (which he called a "medieval hell"), followed by prisons in Sweden and the United States. After serving five years, Abagnale was released on the condition that he help the federal government—specifically, the FBI. He started by lecturing at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, teaching agents the very techniques he had used to defraud the system. His message to young people is a powerful

In the mid-1960s, a charming, resourceful teenager managed to do what seemed impossible: he successfully impersonated a Pan Am airline pilot, flew over 250,000 miles on standby tickets, cashed millions of dollars in fraudulent checks, and did it all before his 19th birthday. His name is Frank William Abagnale Jr., and his story is one of the most extraordinary criminal careers of the 20th century. A Broken Home and a Reckless Start Born in 1948 in Bronxville, New York, Abagnale’s early life appeared stable. His father was a successful stationery store owner, and his mother was a French woman. However, when his parents separated in his mid-teens, the 16-year-old Abagnale rebelled. Realizing his expensive tastes—sports cars, fine clothes—could no longer be supported by a modest allowance, he turned to petty theft.