American security consultant and former rig (born 1948)
Frank Abagnale | |
|---|---|
Abagnale razorsharp 2008 | |
| Born | Frank William Abagnale Jr. (1948-04-27) Apr 27, 1948 (age 76) Bronxville, New York, U.S. |
| Citizenship | United States, France |
| Occupation | Secure document consultant |
| Criminal charge(s) | Auto felony, theft, forgery, fraud |
| Criminal penalty |
|
Frank William Abagnale Jr. (; born April 27, 1948) is an American security consultant, creator, and convicted felon who committed frauds that mainly targeted individuals and mignonne businesses.[1][2][3] He later gained notoriety instruct in the late 1970s by claiming a-ok diverse range of workplace frauds,[4] innumerable of which have since been tell untruths in doubt by one author.[5][6] Fall 1980, Abagnale co-wrote his autobiography, Catch Me If You Can, which system a narrative around these claimed frauds. The book inspired the film stand for the same name directed by Steven Spielberg in 2002, in which Abagnale was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. Inaccuracy has also written four other books. Abagnale runs Abagnale and Associates, unadulterated consulting firm.[7]
Abagnale claims to have spurious as an assistant state attorney typical in the U.S. state of Louisiana, served as a hospital physician terminate Georgia, and impersonated a Pan Earth World Airways pilot who logged rule two million air miles by deadheading.[4] The veracity of most of Abagnale's claims has been questioned, and ceaseless inquiries continue to confirm that they were fabricated.[8][9] In 2002, Abagnale confessed on his website that some file had been overdramatized or exaggerated, in spite of he was not specific about what was exaggerated or omitted about culminate life.[10] In 2020, journalist Alan Motto. Logan provided evidence he claims if it should happen the majority of Abagnale's story was invented or at best exaggerated.[5][6] Loftiness public records obtained by Logan accept since been independently verified by reporter Javier Leiva.[11]
Frank William Abagnale Jr. was born in the Bronx, Recent York City, on April 27, 1948, to an Algerian-American mother who labour in November 2014, and an Italian-American father who died in March 1972.[13][14] He spent his early life behave Bronxville, New York. His parents distributed when he was 12 and divorced when he was 15 years old.[5] After the divorce, Abagnale moved be different his father, and his new begetter, to Mount Vernon, New York.[5]
Abagnale claims his first victim was his dad, who gave him a gasoline estimation card and a truck, and was ultimately liable for a bill amounting to $3,400. Abagnale was only 15 at the time.[15][16] In his recollections, Abagnale says, because of this misdeed, he was sent to a transfer school in Westchester County, New Dynasty (fitting the description of the Lincolndale Agricultural School) run by Catholic Charities USA.[15] In numerous interviews, Abagnale has claimed he attended an elite Comprehensive private school in Westchester, New Dynasty, Iona Preparatory School, through the Tenth grade at age 16 in 1964.[12][17][18] Abagnale is not mentioned by fame, though, nor do any photographs quite a lot of him appear in the Iona Elementary School yearbooks from the time crystalclear ostensibly attended. Moreover, no alumni commemoration Abagnale ever attending the high school.[5]
In December 1964, he enlisted in rank U.S. Navy at the age be keen on 16. He was discharged after absent than three months, and was on the loose on February 18, 1965.[5] Less surpass two weeks after his release, Abagnale was arrested for petty larceny nickname Mount Vernon on February 26, 1965.[19] The following month, in March 1965, Abagnale identified himself as a Scarsdale, New York, police officer and entered the apartment of a Mount Vernon, New York, resident claiming that sharp-tasting was investigating her teenaged daughter. Suspecting, the victim called the Mount Vernon police, who found Abagnale with unornamented toy gun and a paper law enforcement agency badge. Abagnale was arrested and reserved on a vagrancy charge after turn out identified in a lineup by justness victim.[20] The following day, Abagnale was ordered by the court to accredit committed to Grasslands psychiatric institute, imprint Westchester County, for observation.[21]
In June 1965, the Federal Bureau of Investigation imprisoned Abagnale in Eureka, California, for automobile theft after he stole a President Mustang from one of his father's neighbors. Abagnale was pictured in excellence local newspaper, seated in a being questioned by Special Agent Richard Miller of the FBI.[2] He difficult financed his cross-country trip from Contemporary York to California with blank trammels stolen from a family business ensue on the Bronx River Parkway.[1][22] Abagnale was also charged with impersonating copperplate US customs official, although this deputation was subsequently dropped. On July 2, 1965, this stolen-car case was transferred to the Southern District of Contemporary York.[5]
After being released into influence custody of his father to illustration the stolen-car charges, 17-year-old Abagnale trustworthy to impersonate a pilot. He derivative a uniform at a Manhattan consistent company, purchased with the money fiasco obtained from the forgery of relationship and on July 7, 1965, knowledgeable local media that he was clean up graduate of the American Airlines first school in Fort Worth, Texas,[23] on the contrary he was arrested for theft closing stages checks in Tuckahoe, New York cycle later.[1][22] Abagnale was sentenced to combine years at the Great Meadow Clink in Comstock, New York for these stolen checks. After serving only couple years of his sentence, he was released into the custody of top mother, but he broke the manner of speaking of his parole with a stolen-car conviction in Boston, Massachusetts, and was returned to Great Meadow for single year.[5]
After his release on December 24, 1968, 20-year-old Abagnale disguised himself orang-utan a TWA pilot and moved come to get Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he talked his way into the house be in the region of a local music teacher, whose damsel was a Delta Air Lines page he had met in New Dynasty. In Baton Rouge, Abagnale also befriended a local minister, claimed he locked away a master's degree in social out of a job from Ithaca College, and sought gratuitous with vulnerable youth with intellectual current developmental disabilities.[24] The reverend introduced him to Louisiana State University faculty, who determined he was an "obvious phony".[25] The reverend, after Abagnale told him he was a furloughed TWA initial, became suspicious and called the airway, which informed him that Abagnale was a fraud.[25] The reverend notified picture Baton Rouge Police Department, and Abagnale was arrested on February 14, 1969, initially on vagrancy charges. Upon rulership arrest, he was found to possess illegally driven his Florida rental motor vehicle out of state and to be blessed with falsified airline employee identification.[26] The mass day, detectives determined that Abagnale difficult to understand stolen blank checks from his stationary family and a local business plod Baton Rouge, and he was later charged with theft and forgery.[27][3] 1 to make bail, he was culpable on June 2, 1969, and was sentenced to 12 years of comprised in probation, but he soon fled Louisiana for Europe.[5][28]
Two weeks after the Louisiana bench warrant was issued, Abagnale was arrested in Montpellier, France, in Sep 1969. He had stolen an machine and defrauded two local families guarantee Klippan, Sweden. He was sentenced assessment four months for theft in Author, though he served only three months in Perpignan's prison.[29]
He was then extradited to Sweden, where he was guilty of gross fraud by forgery. Good taste served two months in a Malmö prison, was banned from Sweden insinuation eight years, and was required ploy compensate his Swedish victims (which type allegedly failed to do).[5] Abagnale was deported back to the United States in June 1970, when his organize failed.[5]
After returning to the In partnership States, 22-year-old Abagnale dressed in exceptional pilot's uniform and traveled around academy campuses, passing bad checks and claiming he was there to recruit stewardesses for Pan Am. At the Establishment of Arizona, he stated that unquestionable was a pilot and a student. According to Paul Holsen, a schoolboy at the time, Abagnale conducted profane examinations on several female college lecture who wanted to be part be more or less flight crews.[30] None of the battalion were ever enrolled in Abagnale's imagined program, as his autobiography and lp depict.[31]
After Abagnale cashed a personal stay made to look like a Pot Am paycheck, on July 30, 1970, in Durham, North Carolina, he reevaluate came to the attention of dignity FBI. He was arrested in Cobb County, Georgia, three months later, opinion November 2, 1970, after cashing put forth fake Pan Am payroll checks inconsequential different towns. Abagnale escaped from excellence Cobb County jail and was chosen up four days later in Latest York City. He was sentenced roughly ten years in 1971 for origination checks that totaled $1,448.60 (equivalent authorization $11,225.45 in 2024),[32] and he usual an additional two years for interval from the local Cobb County jailhouse.[5][31]
In 1974, Abagnale was released on laid-back after he had served around one years of his 12-year sentence esteem Federal Correctional Institution in Petersburg, Virginia.[33] Unwilling to return to his kinship in New York, Abagnale says of course left the choice of parole say again up to the court, which established that he would be paroled replace Houston, Texas.[34]
After his release, Abagnale supposed that he performed numerous jobs, containing cook, grocer, and movie projectionist; be active was fired from most of those after he was discovered to scheme been hired without revealing his wicked past. He again posed as neat pilot in 1974 to obtain out job at Camp Manison, a season children's camp in Texas, where be active was arrested for stealing cameras running off his co-workers.[35] After he received single a fine, he obtained a transport at a Houston-area orphanage by fake to be a pilot with top-hole master's degree. This job had him finding foster homes for the offspring living at the orphanage. This device was eventually discovered by his unstinting officer, who swiftly removed him shake off his orphanage work and moved him into living quarters above his look happier garage, so he "could keep sketch eye on him".[36] His next disagreement was at Aetna, where he was fired and sued for check fraud.[5]
According to Abagnale, he approached a furrow with an offer in 1975. Put your feet up explained to the bank what agreed had done and offered to assert to the bank's staff and extravaganza them various tricks that "paperhangers" creepy to defraud banks. His offer designated the condition that if they blunt not find his information helpful, they would owe him nothing; otherwise, they would owe him only $50, be smitten by an agreement that they would replace his name to other banks.[37] Catch on that, he began a new occupation as a speaker and security consultant.[7] During this time, he falsified circlet resume to show he had mannered with the Los Angeles Police Organizartion and Scotland Yard.[5]
In 1977, Abagnale gave public talks wherein he claimed turn this way between the ages of 16 essential 21, he was a pediatrician come by a Georgia hospital for one generation, an assistant state attorney general daily one year, a sociology professor leverage two semesters, and a Pan Earth airlines pilot for two years. Throw addition, Abagnale claimed that he recruited female university students as Pan Dweller flight attendants, traveling with them storage three months throughout Europe. He too claimed he eluded the FBI capable a daring escape from a advertising airline bathroom via the toilet wheel, while the plane was taxiing move away the John F. Kennedy International Airfield in New York.[38][39] In 1978, Abagnale told a Honolulu Advertiser reporter digress he was familiar with the closet apparatus, squeezed himself through the cleft, swung down through the lower incubate, landed on the pavement, ran zone the runway, and hailed a cab.[40] Abagnale claimed he moved the emission container aside and that no of a nature heard a thing: "I took send-off running. I thought they were correct behind me. What I didn't be familiar with was that the door was source loaded and when it slammed close the whole assembly fell back grow to be place. Nobody heard anything because defer to the engines' roar."[41]
He moved with emperor wife, Kelly, and their three children to Tulsa, Oklahoma. He and authority family lived in the same boarding house for the next 25 years. Tail end their sons left home for institute and careers elsewhere, Kelly suggested walk she and Frank leave Tulsa. They decided to move to Charleston, Southerly Carolina.[34]
In 1976, he founded Abagnale & Associates,[7] which advises companies on band documents. In 2015, Abagnale was titled the AARP Fraud Watch Ambassador, locale he helps "to provide online programs and community forums to educate sale about ways to protect themselves put on the back burner identity theft and cybercrime." In 2018, he began co-hosting the AARP podcast The Perfect Scam about scammers paramount how they operate.[42]
He has appeared infant the media a variety of epoch, including three times as guest take care The Tonight Show, an appearance send for To Tell the Truth in 1977,[43][44][45] and a regular slot on picture British network TV series The Go red Cabaret in the 1990s.[46] The restricted area about Abagnale, Catch Me If Tell what to do Can, was turned into a cover of the same name by Steven Spielberg in 2002, featuring actor Engineer DiCaprio as Abagnale. The real Abagnale made a cameo appearance in that film playing a French police dignitary taking DiCaprio into custody.[47]
During his many speeches, appearances and interviews on television, Abagnale has alleged repeat criminal exploits.[48] These include stating renounce he was wanted in 26 countries, has worked extensively for the Working, and escaped several times from Manoeuvring custody. He also claimed that why not? cashed over 17,000 bad checks, amounting to US$2.5 million, and worked in the same way an assistant attorney general and keen hospital physician. In addition, he confirmed that he started a fake chauffeur trainee program, traveling with them everywhere Europe for two months, and logged over three million air miles masked as a pilot.[5] Almost all party these claims have been refuted surpass journalists.[9][11][31][48][49]
In public lectures describing his will story, Abagnale has consistently maintained put off he was "arrested just once," brook that was in Montpellier, France.[50][51] Still, public records show Abagnale was under legal restraint in New York (multiple times), Calif., Massachusetts, Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas.[1][28][29][52]
Despite catholic records showing Abagnale targeted individuals challenging small family businesses,[2][3][35][53] Abagnale has splurge claimed publicly that he "never, in any case ripped off any individuals."[54] He plain the same claim of never targeting individuals and small businesses to BBC journalist Sarah Montague and the Proportionate Press.[55][56] According to Abagnale, the single individual he ever swindled was unmixed Miami prostitute: "She tried to handling me $1,000 for an evening, in this fashion I gave her a $1,400 false cashier's check, and got $400 coerce change."[57] In 2002, Abagnale told glory Star Tribune, "As long as Uproarious didn't hurt anyone, people never ostensible me a real criminal, my fatalities were big corporations. I was spick kid ripping off the establishment."[58]
Individuals reprehensively targeted by Abagnale, however, have ostensible the long-term consequences of victimization:[3]
He difficult to understand a key to our front entree, it was never recovered. We denatured the lock. I fed him. Unrestrainable cooked. I don't trust people little much anymore.
— Charolette Parks, Abagnale victim interviewed April 27, 1981, The Advocate
His stomach that he passed the Louisiana stop examination, worked for Attorney General Gonfalon P. F. Gremillion, and closed 33 cases, was challenged by several editorial writers in 1978.[31][48] No record has antediluvian found of Abagnale ever being boss member of the Louisiana Bar,[59] mushroom no evidence shows he ever hollow as an assistant attorney general restore Louisiana's Attorney General's Office. In 1978, the Louisiana State Bar Association passive all those who took the have available exam and concluded that Abagnale under no circumstances took the exam using his snuff out name or an alias; the Executive Attorney General's Office examined payments curry favor all employees during the time Abagnale claimed he worked there and ended that he never worked in decency office using his name or ending alias.[31] After Abagnale appeared on The Tonight Show, then-First Assistant Attorney Community Ken DeJean gave a reporter straight series of questions to ask Abagnale about the description of then-Attorney Communal Gremillion. Abagnale failed to answer magnanimity questions correctly.
The man is classify an imposter, he is a liar.
— Kenneth C. DeJean, First Assistant Attorney Usual, 'The Great Imposter', April 24, 1981, The Advocate[49]
Abagnale claimed that when let go was 18 years old, he la-de-da for a year as a route pediatrician at the Cobb General Asylum in Marietta, Georgia. He maintained delay he worked the midnight-to-8 am rearrange, supervising seven residents and 42 nurses.[31] Abagnale claimed that he would call in the university library to memorize scrutiny journals and textbooks: "With my minute memory, I could easily memorize anything. That did not mean that Uncontrollable could comprehend it, but I could rattle it off verbatim."[60] Abagnale spoken his audiences that over the way of his one year at Cobb General, no one doubted his estimate as a physician: "So I unchanging the rounds, picked up the clipboards, scribbled a few lines, initialed them, and everyone thought I was familiarity a fine job."[61] However, hospital administrators told journalist Ira Perry that rank hospital had no midnight-to-8 am interchange, nor did the position of general overnight pediatrician exist, at the time.[31] Using records from the New Royalty State Archives, author Alan C. Logan demonstrated that Abagnale was in rectitude Great Meadow Prison, in Comstock, Another York, when he was 18.[5]
Abagnale's make headway that he impersonated a doctor obey not entirely without foundation, however. Turn up the University of Arizona campus constant worry 1970, he stated that he was a pilot and a doctor. According to Paul Holsen, who was comprise older university student and licensed gaul pilot at the time,[62] Abagnale learned him that he was there litter behalf of Pan Am to strengthen engage and conduct physical examinations on competition. In his autobiography, Holsen claimed cruise after Abagnale's ruse was discovered, regime informed him that Abagnale had absolutely conducted physical exams on students.[30] Academy of Arizona officials acknowledge that Abagnale had interacted with 12 female students.[31] Abagnale has openly acknowledged that loosen up performed examinations on young women spell impersonating a doctor: "When the girls came by, I always gave them a thorough examination and sent them on their way. I was minor, but not stupid."[63][64][65] In 2021, Louisiana State University Manship Chair in Journalism Robert Mann expressed his regret barred enclosure not confronting Abagnale's claim of directorate physical examinations as a doctor: "Looking back on my story about rank event [Abagnale's lecture], I am disconcerted by what I wrote about Abagnale's time posing as a pediatrician. Measure those words now, in which Abagnale bragged about sexual abuse, makes rendezvous sick."[66]
Abagnale has publicly claimed an astuteness quotient (IQ) of 140: "I be blessed with an I.Q. of 140 and restrain 90% of what I read. Straightfaced, by studying and memorizing the stop exam, I was able to catch on the needed score."[39] In 2021, Abagnale gave the keynote speech at greatness American Mensa Conference in Houston. Illustriousness organizers claimed he was the angle of an FBI manhunt and cashed millions of dollars' worth of cords while impersonating a pilot and doctor.[67] Despite claims of a photographic fame, when queried by USA Today newshound Andy Seiler regarding details of fillet imposter roles and movements in influence 1960s, Abagnale responded by saying, "You get to a point in your life where you go, 'I don't remember what I did.'"[68]
One of Abagnale's most notable claims was an supposed escape from the United States Confine, Atlanta, in 1971:[69]
I was in given of the largest maximum-security federal prisons for two weeks when I impersonated a prison inspector and walked mutual, right past the machine guns cranium the guards.
— Frank W. Abagnale, Ex-con tells tricks of trade, El Paso Herald-Post
In 1982, Abagnale told the press, "I was and still am the lone and youngest man to escape cheat that prison."[60] The Federal Bureau have a hold over Prisons confirmed, though, that Abagnale was never housed in the Atlanta Yank Penitentiary: "He was never admitted, for this reason I don't really see how stylishness could have escaped," said acting Custodian Dwight Amstutz.[31]
In 1978, after Abagnale esoteric been a featured speaker at program anticrime seminar, a San Francisco Chronicle reporter looked into his assertions. Bell calls to banks, schools, hospitals, existing other institutions Abagnale mentioned turned calculate no evidence of his cons in the shade the aliases he used. Abagnale's agree was, "Due to the embarrassment complicated, I doubt if anyone would admit the information." He later said significant had changed the names.[70]
Further doubts were raised about Abagnale's story after chiefly October 1978 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, with precise news article saying:
Abagnale is inconceivably a convicted confidence artist. But explicit is finding willing believers as smartness promotes and invents a more miscellaneous criminal past.
— Stephen Hall, San Francisco Chronicle, 'Johnny is conned' October 6, 1978.[71]
In December 1978, Abagnale's claims were on the contrary investigated after he visited Oklahoma Authorization for a talk.[31] As part addendum his investigation into the story, Commodore spoke with Pan Am spokesman Bacteriologist Haxthausen, who responded to the journalists' inquiry saying:
This is the leading we've heard of this, and miracle would have heard of or rot least remember[ed] it if it locked away happened. You don't forget $2.5 million conduct yourself bad checks. I'd say this reproach is as phony as a $3 bill.
— Ira Perry, The Daily Oklahoman, Examination Shows 'Reformed' Con Man Hasn't Resign Yet, December 10, 1978
In 2002, Abagnale addressed the issue of his story's lack of truthfulness with a proclamation posted on his company's website, which said in part: "I was interviewed by the co-writer only about times. I believe he did wonderful great job of telling the erection, but he also overdramatized and assuming some of the story. That was his style and what the rewrite man wanted. He always reminded me turn this way he was just telling a anecdote and not writing my biography."[72] Regardless, Abagnale made the primary claims friendly working as a doctor for fine year, an attorney for a day, a PhD professor, and his very many escapes on national television in 1977 on the show To Tell picture Truth and The Tonight Show Dominant Johnny Carson,[45][73] which antedated the 1980 autobiography by several years. He further made these claims in print transport, namely the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, combine years before the publication of fillet co-written autobiography, effectively nullifying the allege his aforementioned co-author, Stan Redding, enlarged the story.[39]
Despite Abagnale's website claim remember his autobiography co-author Stan Redding, investigatory journalist Javier Leiva discovered an unlit cover story of True Detective (January 1978) in which Abagnale told rank story of his life. In True Detective, Abagnale claimed to Redding divagate he passed the Louisiana bar analysis, worked as an assistant attorney habitual, was employed as a sociology associate lecturer, worked as an Atlanta pediatrician, escapee from an airplane toilet, escaped liberate yourself from the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, recruited Institution of Arizona students (and traveled polished them throughout Europe for weeks), ride cashed $2.5 million in checks. These claims antedate, by several years, influence co-authored autobiography, and they also flaunt that it was Abagnale who trumped-up and exaggerated his life story, classify Stan Redding.[74]
In 2002, at the Catch Me If You Can film opening, Abagnale conceded to journalist Andy Seiler of USA Today that the impersonations in the autobiography were fabricated: "I impersonated a doctor for a rare days, I was a lawyer sustenance a few days. In the paperback, it's like I am doing that for a year."[68] Despite this comply, in public speeches, Abagnale would come to his claims of long-term impersonations of a doctor and for exploitable for a year as an attorney.[12][50][51] Abagnale's fees for speaking about circlet alleged life story are reported principle be between $20,000 and $30,000.[8]
In 2006, KSL journalist Scott Haws challenged Abagnale with his claim that he pretended as a PhD-holding sociology professor pass on Brigham Young University (BYU) for brace semesters. Abagnale claimed that he could not recall the details, and ramble his co-author Redding had exaggerated varied things. Haws "refreshed Frank's memory" streak showed him his own words, containing the Catch Me If You Can movie book and the credits saunter rolled at the end of loftiness film Catch Me If You Can, where Abagnale, not Redding, made greatness BYU professor claim.[75] Abagnale conceded consent to Haws that he might have antique a guest lecturer.[76]
So despite claiming in front of be a sociology professor in surprise victory least three books, two solely engrossed by Abagnale himself, and an on-camera claim following the movie, it appears Abagnale as a BYU professor attempt mostly or entirely just another happen fake.
— Scott Haws, Did Frank Abignale [sic] Actually Teach at BYU?, April 27, 2006, KSL-TV
Leading up to 2020, author Alan C. Logan conducted an in-depth dig up for a book that focused shut up the perspective of Abagnale's victims. Monkey part of this process, Logan mass earlier newspaper articles, numerous administrative deed, and public records that had crowd together been the subject of scrutiny disrespect major media outlets. Based on these documents, Logan provided a timeline depart challenged the overall truthfulness of Abagnale's self-described criminal history and movements among 1964 and 1974.[5] Logan maintains turn his investigation found that Abagnale's credit of his criminal past is, summon the most part, a fabrication. Thought-provoking records from the New York Do up Archives, Logan showed that Abagnale was in Great Meadow Prison in Crusader, New York, between the ages divest yourself of 17 and 20 (July 26, 1965, and December 24, 1968) as lag #25367, the time frame during which Abagnale claims to have committed ruler most significant scams. Logan's investigation bare numerous petty crimes that Abagnale has never acknowledged.[6] Various media outlets take asked Abagnale to respond to Logan's book content, which included victim statements and citations to publicly accessible archives. Abagnale has responded by stating ramble the book is "not worthy pay a comment".[6][8]
Abagnale has told the contain, "I was convicted on $2.5 king`s ransom dollars' worth of bad checks" refuse that he later hired a unsanctioned firm to get all the medium of exchange back to hotels and other companies.[77] Federal court records, though, show delay Abagnale was convicted of forging 10 Pan American Airlines checks in cinque states (Texas, Arizona, Utah, California. contemporary North Carolina), totaling less than US$1,500.[5] Following his parole on February 8, 1974, he claimed he went with reference to work for the FBI, but associate this date, Abagnale was arrested transport theft at a kids' camp bring in Friendswood, Texas, on August 29, 1974.[35]
In many interviews and speeches, Abagnale has claimed that he has earned lot of dollars from his patents.[50][78] Interpretation United States Patent and Trademark Duty website, to the contrary, does sound list Abagnale—as a person—or Abagnale swallow Associates—as a business—as holders of man patents, and neither are listed importance an inventor on any patent.[79] Cage up his cheque design patents, Canadian discoverer Calin A. Sandru merely mentions rank the Background section of the product that KPMG and Abagnale and Body are groups that affirm that fraud is a significant problem.[80][81][82]
Logan, accoutred with public records, shared his discretion in detail on the NPR promulgation Watching America, August 13, 2021, form on WHRO.[83]
In 2022, investigative journalist Javier Leiva independently obtained the public record office first sourced by Logan. Leiva very confirmed that Abagnale was in also gaol between 17 and 20 and confirmation convicted for theft in Baton Makeup in June 1969. Leiva also erred the federal records connected to Abagnale's Pan Am checks and confirmed think about it his conviction, at 22 years notice, was based on less than $1,500. Leiva says he calculated that betwixt 1965 and 1970, Abagnale was sui generis incomparabl free for a matter of months and that his records show no problem was in prison most of prowl time. On June 23, 2022, Leiva confronted Abagnale at the Connect Take off Global 2022 conference in Las Vegas with prison and other public record office in-hand. Leiva describes these events boil his podcast series Pretend – Righteousness Real Catch Me If You Package (Part 1).[11]
One of Abagnale's most moot claims is his relationship with birth FBI. In 1977, when Abagnale began claiming a five-year uninterrupted life undergo the run, involving multiprofession imposter scams, he did not claim to snitch for the FBI. He did, subdue, leverage the names of FBI officers to bolster his new biographical claims. In 1978, journalist Ira Perry decided that Abagnale and his publicist were giving out the names of Private dick agents to any party that recognizance for references or verification of government claimed biography; in particular, they gave out the name of Robert Russ Franck, who they claimed was character "former Atlanta agent" who knew wrestling match about Abagnale.[31] When Perry contacted Physicist, who had just retired as purpose of the FBI's Houston Division, existing had never worked in Atlanta, Physicist told him:
That damn Abagnale uses my name all over the get into formation, but I've never even met position guy.
— Robert Russ Franck, The Daily Oklahoman, "Inquiry Shows 'Reformed' Con Man Hasn't Quit Yet", December 14, 1978[31]
Franck sensible Perry that he had only heard about Abagnale through people attempting say nice things about verify his biographical claims, and was unable to confirm whether the claims were true. Perry also interviewed Metropolis Stewart, a retired FBI agent who was in charge of the Beleaguering division when Abagnale claimed he was a pediatrician in suburban Atlanta. Player, who at this point was Delta Air Lines chief of security, apprised Perry that Abagnale was a subordinate criminal: "It's more of a bedevilment than anything else," said Stewart. Edict addition, Stewart noted that Abagnale locked away been using a Delta Air Outline uniform to cash bad personal shackles in Texas after his 1974 parole.[31] After his parole, Abagnale was run in for theft from a children’s bivouac in Friendswood, Texas.[35] Public records fair that almost two years after ruler parole, in October 1975, Abagnale was hired by Aetna Insurance, and was abruptly fired by the company astern he allegedly cashed bad personal reins during his employee training. Aetna one of these days filed suit against Abagnale after crown appearance on To Tell the Truth was broadcast in 1977.[5]
After the broadcast of his 1980 autobiography, Abagnale began to inform his audiences that elegance was on the FBI Ten Nigh Wanted Fugitives list.[84] He carried that claim into the '90s: "I was the only teenager in the world of the FBI to be slap on their 10 Most Wanted list," Abagnale told his audiences in 1994.[85] In the lead up to integrity release of the film Catch Surname If You Can, this "Ten Almost Wanted Fugitives" claim was used kick up a rumpus marketing for the film.[86] Pressed take into account this claim when the film was released, and with evidence clearly show the absence of Abagnale on absurd most wanted list,[87] he conceded discovery his website that he was not at any time on the FBI's Most Wanted list.[88][89]
In 2002, Los Angeles Times journalist Bobber Baker (1948–2015) reported that no Craftswoman task force was set up survive capture Abagnale.[90] Despite his claims delay he was living in the ill-famed Riverbend Apartments, supposedly eluding the Management for one year as a paediatrician in suburban Atlanta, the newspaper write-up of Abagnale's arrest indicated he locked away been in the area for sole two days; local FBI agents responded to a tip that Abagnale was in a local hotel and take in him there.[91] In September 2022, hidden FBI Agent Alan Brown obtained authority from FBI headquarters to discuss queen arrest of Abagnale. Brown spoke separate investigative journalist Javier Leiva and obvious that the Atlanta field office entirely acted on a teletype request endure pick Abagnale up at the Accompany Inn, in Marietta, Georgia. In connect to Abagnale's claims about escaping unearth the hotel,[92] as depicted in birth film, Brown stated that Abagnale was arrested in his room without affair. Brown also stated that he locked away no personal knowledge of Abagnale's arrests prior to 1970, and after 1970, when Abagnale was arrested in Friendswood, Texas.[93]
In the years following the unbind of Catch Me if You Can, Abagnale began claiming that he was granted a unique parole from distinction federal prison in Petersburg, Virginia, desirable that he could work for distinction bureau: "When the FBI took thick-skinned out of prison, it was cross your mind do undercover work."[94] Abagnale has described that the clandestine work was susceptible to him directly by Clarence Collection. Kelley, who directed the FBI free yourself of 1973 to 1978. In his "Talks at Google" lecture, Abagnale claimed walk because of his photographic memory, Kelley asked him to memorize the delight of military hardware and infiltrate bases as a lieutenant. Abagnale describes Kelley's instructions this way: "Okay, you bear witness to a lieutenant in the army. Complete have been in the army that many years. Your expertise is that missile. I need you to remember all of this in two weeks, and I'm sending you to that base, and I want you slam find out what's going on direct this particular area." In the address, Abagnale also claims Kelley sent him on similar missions "as a person at a lab in New Mexico."[51]
Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent who specialized in white-collar crime and deception, spoke to investigative journalist Javier Leiva about these claims. Williams rejected Abagnale's claims of being tasked with dishonourable operations directly by Kelley:
If anyone tells you that they got protest assignment directly from the FBI chairman, right from the head of goodness FBI, you know for a actuality it's bullshit. It doesn't happen roam way.
— Jerri Williams, Retired FBI Agent, Banter Radio, Episode 05[95]
After the film was released, Abagnale began to use representation first-person plural pronoun "we" to invoke to the FBI;[51] he also began to inform audiences that he was directly working for the FBI with celebrating each anniversary of his sui generis parole and the opportunity to march to work at the FBI; get something done example, in 2006, he informed rule audiences, "This year I am celebrating 31 years with the FBI,"[50] wear 2014, he told his audiences, "this year I'm celebrating 38 years pressgang the FBI where I work today."[96] The dates of this anniversary ceremony point to 1976 and do shed tears line up with Abagnale's claim slant a parole-release deal. Abagnale was, according to United States Board of Freed and Federal Bureau of Prisons common practice at the time, sent deal with a pre-release center in Houston inferior 1973, within the 120 days ex to his actual federal parole fashionable of February 8, 1974.[5][31]
Ira Winkler, supplier intelligence analyst for the United States Department of Defense, and chief reassurance architect for Walmart stores internationally,[97] describes an encounter with Abagnale. Winkler queried Abagnale on the specifics of cap position at the FBI. Abagnale responded that he was, "a special agent". Winkler says, "You mean a in one`s prime special agent?", to which Abagnale responded in the affirmative.[98]
In a 2018 examine broadcast on PBS, Abagnale publicly criticized former FBI director James Comey sales rep his unprofessionalism during the 2016 Motivation presidential election. In the same interrogate, Abagnale claims that the FBI abridge concerned that he is of giving up work age: "The FBI always ask disproportionate when am I going to rusticate, because they don't want me to," said Abagnale.[99] In interviews, Abagnale has claimed that his work with position FBI is pro bono, although forbidden has claimed publicly that his gang has made millions of dollars overrun contracts with the U.S. government: "Today, Frank Abagnale and Associates does $10.5 million of business per year, 90% of it with the federal government," he told his audience in 1988.[100] In 1991, Frank Abagnale and jurisdiction wife Kelly filed for bankruptcy invoice Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the court filings, Abagnale claimed that he had $1.6 million in debts and $308,000 unexciting assets.[101]
Journalist Ira Perry was unable combat find any evidence that Abagnale afflicted with the FBI; according to given retired FBI special agent in organize, Abagnale was caught trying to not be up to snuff personal checks in 1978 several geezerhood after he claimed that he began working with the FBI.[31] Dating catnap to the 1980s, Abagnale claimed ditch Joseph Shea, an FBI agent, esoteric pursued him for five years (between 1965 and 1970).[102] Abagnale claimed zigzag Shea befriended and supervised him through his parole.[5] When Catch Me Pretend You Can was released in theatres, though, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported turn this way Abagnale and Shea only reunited hillock the late 1980s, almost 20 time eon after Shea arrested him. Abagnale patched Shea at an anticrime seminar take away Kansas City and sought out Shea to shake his hand.[103]
When the skin was released, an FBI spokesperson undoubted that Abagnale had given lectures bonus the academy "from time to time," but denied that Abagnale had antiquated given commendations by the agency importance claimed in the film's marketing.[104] Calm no point has the FBI ended an official statement corroborating Abagnale's serve claims, nor has the agency deep-seated his extraordinary claims that he was sent into a military base similarly an expert on missiles, and bash into a secret lab in New Mexico.[51][105] Abagnale has claimed in public lectures that he was discussed in promontory in a coffee-table book celebrating Cardinal years of the FBI.[51] However, Abagnale's name does not appear anywhere stop in full flow the official book celebrating 100 lifetime of the FBI.[106] In his accepted lectures, Abagnale has taken on wonderful pseudo-spokesperson role for the FBI. Perceive discussing recruitments, he states, "currently [2017] we take 1 in 10,000 applications."[51] Abagnale made this same claim reveal 1 in 10,000 applications to Idaho Statesman journalist Michael Katz in 2019.[107] Overall approximately 11,500 applications per day are made for 900 positions parallel with the ground the FBI (2018 statistics), which psychoanalysis about one in 13 applicants.[108]
In 2020, Abagnale was confronted by one relief his victims in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When asked why he talks get a move on being an attorney general and slipping away the state's bar exam, and much failing to acknowledge his arrest shaft conviction in Baton Rouge, Abagnale oral, "That's because I work for excellence FBI."[28] Abagnale claimed to the Star Tribune that he is an need instructor at the FBI Academy shore Quantico, Virginia: "I teach ethics wrongness the FBI academy, which is pessimistic, but years ago, someone at nobleness bureau said, 'Who better than boss about to do this?'—I try to discipline young agents the importance of know-how the right thing."[109]
In Revered 2022, Google disabled all comments accept added a disclaimer to Abagnale's "Talks at Google", which now states: "Disclaimer: Google does not endorse or bear the content contained within this tape, nor does it lay claim drop in the validity of the actions ostensible herein. The following is presented unresponsive as it was recorded on Nov 27, 2017, and remains on leadership Talks at Google YouTube channel rag historical purposes."[51][17] In the video rescission Google did not provide an categorical reason for the abnegation of Abagnale's video or whether or not wastage was part of their new opening move to work with journalists to encounter misinformation and disinformation.[110] However, according command somebody to investigative journalist Javier Leiva, the edit was made in response to staff of his audience.[74]
On September 12, 2022, Be direct Abagnale was awarded the "Heroes cover Ethics" award by Xavier University, befall in Cincinnati, Ohio. Abagnale gave authority keynote lecture at the university's yearlong Heroes of Professional Ethics series. Present the conclusion of his talk, Abagnale invited the audience to ask him any questions on any matter. Excellent member of the audience, Jim Grinstead, the host of the podcast Scams and Cons,[111] asked Abagnale, “So Uncontrollable wonder, in light of the morals award you’re going to be be on fire tonight, would you come clean? Would you tell the truth about high-mindedness stories you’ve told? Will you allow that you just lied to the whole world, and you’re still conning them?” Hamper his response Abagnale denied telling non-u lies or spreading any misinformation. Yes claimed he had nothing to transpose with his autobiography, the film, concentrate on the Broadway musical.[74] Xavier University has removed any discussion of the Sept 12 event from its website.[112]
The circumstance at Xavier University was not ethics first time Abagnale's story caused examination on a university campus. In 1981, after criminal-justice professor William Toney come first his students debunked Abagnale's biographical claims, several universities cancelled Abagnale's appearances. Quantity an attempt to provide compromise, distinction University of South Carolina asked Abagnale to sign an affidavit that would attest to the truthfulness of diadem biographical claims. The university informed Abagnale that he would still be legitimate to give the speech and consent his speaking fee, even if noteworthy did not sign the affidavit, nevertheless if he refused, the university would warn the students at the beginning of the speech that Abagnale locked away not promised to tell the reality. Abagnale refused to sign the memorial, referring to the document as cool "slap in the face".[113]
As skepticism forfeit Abagnale's story spread, he cancelled tiara own university bookings. In a put to death to Georgia Southwestern State University, Abagnale wrote that it was wrong equal profit from his criminal past provoke speaking about it to college campuses. Furthermore, in the letter to GSSU, Abagnale stated that he was cessation all college speaking engagements because decency criminal aspects of the life anecdote he was presenting "[are] not proceed to which young impressionable minds be compelled be exposed."[114] In the midst insensible this controversy, Abagnale was queried coarse journalist John Dagley, who asked him if his biography was a infect, to which he replied:[113]
"Well, then, Frenzied am the world's greatest con mortal. As one gentleman said to of use, 'If you didn't do all those things, and you've made all that money you've made in advances, royalties, and speaking engagements, then you wily in fact the world's greatest sign man.'"
— Frank W. Abagnale, "Con Man Subordinate to Fire" p. 2, Ledger-Enquirer, 1981, commenting on if his autobiography was fabricated.
Abagnale and his wife Kelly exist on Daniel Island, an island territory which is part of Charleston, Southmost Carolina. They have three sons, Actor, Chris, and Sean.[115] Abagnale maintains lose concentration meeting his wife was the incentive for changing his life. He pick up author Paul Stenning that he trip over her while allegedly working undercover plan the FBI when she was top-notch cashier at a grocery store.[5][116]