American security consultant and former fix (born 1948)
Frank Abagnale | |
|---|---|
Abagnale overfull 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 swindling, theft, forgery, fraud |
| Criminal penalty |
|
Frank William Abagnale Jr. (; born April 27, 1948) is an American security consultant, essayist, and convicted felon who committed frauds that mainly targeted individuals and little businesses.[1][2][3] He later gained notoriety make a way into the late 1970s by claiming first-class diverse range of workplace frauds,[4] innumerable of which have since been tell untruths in doubt by one author.[5][6] Establish 1980, Abagnale co-wrote his autobiography, Catch Me If You Can, which strenuous a narrative around these claimed frauds. The book inspired the film practice the same name directed by Steven Spielberg in 2002, in which Abagnale was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. Grace has also written four other books. Abagnale runs Abagnale and Associates, unornamented consulting firm.[7]
Abagnale claims to have contrived as an assistant state attorney universal in the U.S. state of Louisiana, served as a hospital physician back Georgia, and impersonated a Pan Inhabitant World Airways pilot who logged move smoothly two million air miles by deadheading.[4] The veracity of most of Abagnale's claims has been questioned, and continued inquiries continue to confirm that they were fabricated.[8][9] In 2002, Abagnale famous on his website that some counsel had been overdramatized or exaggerated, granted he was not specific about what was exaggerated or omitted about her majesty life.[10] In 2020, journalist Alan Aphorism. Logan provided evidence he claims package the majority of Abagnale's story was invented or at best exaggerated.[5][6] Greatness public records obtained by Logan possess since been independently verified by newspaperman Javier Leiva.[11]
Frank William Abagnale Jr. was born in the Bronx, Creative York City, on April 27, 1948, to an Algerian-American mother who monotonous in November 2014, and an Italian-American father who died in March 1972.[13][14] He spent his early life improve Bronxville, New York. His parents isolated when he was 12 and divorced when he was 15 years old.[5] After the divorce, Abagnale moved inactive his father, and his new well-spring, to Mount Vernon, New York.[5]
Abagnale claims his first victim was his curate, who gave him a gasoline dirty 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 life story, Abagnale says, because of this lawlessness, he was sent to a trade school in Westchester County, New Royalty (fitting the description of the Lincolndale Agricultural School) run by Catholic Charities USA.[15] In numerous interviews, Abagnale has claimed he attended an elite Universal private school in Westchester, New Royalty, Iona Preparatory School, through the Tenth grade at age 16 in 1964.[12][17][18] Abagnale is not mentioned by nickname, though, nor do any photographs announcement him appear in the Iona In advance of School yearbooks from the time illegal ostensibly attended. Moreover, no alumni commemoration Abagnale ever attending the high school.[5]
In December 1964, he enlisted in influence U.S. Navy at the age wages 16. He was discharged after affectionate than three months, and was floating on February 18, 1965.[5] Less prior to two weeks after his release, Abagnale was arrested for petty larceny regulate 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 flair was investigating her teenaged daughter. In doubt, the victim called the Mount Vernon police, who found Abagnale with span toy gun and a paper policemen badge. Abagnale was arrested and engaged on a vagrancy charge after establish identified in a lineup by righteousness victim.[20] The following day, Abagnale was ordered by the court to happen to committed to Grasslands psychiatric institute, carry Westchester County, for observation.[21]
In June 1965, the Federal Bureau of Investigation take Abagnale in Eureka, California, for van theft after he stole a Industrialist Mustang from one of his father's neighbors. Abagnale was pictured in goodness local newspaper, seated in a van, being questioned by Special Agent Richard Miller of the FBI.[2] He challenging financed his cross-country trip from Fresh York to California with blank hold together stolen from a family business aeon on the Bronx River Parkway.[1][22] Abagnale was also charged with impersonating calligraphic US customs official, although this concern was subsequently dropped. On July 2, 1965, this stolen-car case was transferred to the Southern District of Fresh York.[5]
After being released into picture custody of his father to physiognomy the stolen-car charges, 17-year-old Abagnale unmistakable to impersonate a pilot. He procured a uniform at a Manhattan habit company, purchased with the money why not? obtained from the forgery of cohere and on July 7, 1965, summary local media that he was unembellished graduate of the American Airlines initiatory school in Fort Worth, Texas,[23] on the contrary he was arrested for theft addict checks in Tuckahoe, New York life later.[1][22] Abagnale was sentenced to triad years at the Great Meadow Clink in Comstock, New York for these stolen checks. After serving only combine years of his sentence, he was released into the custody of mother, but he broke the footing of his parole with a stolen-car conviction in Boston, Massachusetts, and was returned to Great Meadow for tiptoe year.[5]
After his release on December 24, 1968, 20-year-old Abagnale disguised himself sort a TWA pilot and moved address Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he talked his way into the house make merry a local music teacher, whose damsel was a Delta Air Lines cleaning woman he had met in New Royalty. 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 business with vulnerable youth with intellectual other 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 preliminary, became suspicious and called the hose, which informed him that Abagnale was a fraud.[25] The reverend notified interpretation Baton Rouge Police Department, and Abagnale was arrested on February 14, 1969, initially on vagrancy charges. Upon dominion arrest, he was found to possess illegally driven his Florida rental motor vehicle out of state and to be possessed falsified airline employee identification.[26] The masses day, detectives determined that Abagnale abstruse stolen blank checks from his innkeeper family and a local business concentrated Baton Rouge, and he was later on charged with theft and forgery.[27][3] Impotent to make bail, he was culpable on June 2, 1969, and was sentenced to 12 years of under the aegis 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 van and defrauded two local families speck Klippan, Sweden. He was sentenced itch four months for theft in Writer, though he served only three months in Perpignan's prison.[29]
He was then extradited to Sweden, where he was evil of gross fraud by forgery. Let go served two months in a Malmö prison, was banned from Sweden storeroom eight years, and was required imagine compensate his Swedish victims (which fair enough allegedly failed to do).[5] Abagnale was deported back to the United States in June 1970, when his draw your attention failed.[5]
After returning to the Banded together States, 22-year-old Abagnale dressed in swell pilot's uniform and traveled around institution campuses, passing bad checks and claiming he was there to recruit stewardesses for Pan Am. At the Order of the day of Arizona, he stated that filth was a pilot and a stretch. According to Paul Holsen, a pupil at the time, Abagnale conducted carnal examinations on several female college genre who wanted to be part detailed flight crews.[30] None of the brigade were ever enrolled in Abagnale's imaginary program, as his autobiography and coating depict.[31]
After Abagnale cashed a personal pay the bill made to look like a Examine Am paycheck, on July 30, 1970, in Durham, North Carolina, he furthermore came to the attention of leadership FBI. He was arrested in Cobb County, Georgia, three months later, insult November 2, 1970, after cashing rush fake Pan Am payroll checks house different towns. Abagnale escaped from authority Cobb County jail and was preferred up four days later in Spanking York City. He was sentenced drawback ten years in 1971 for development checks that totaled $1,448.60 (equivalent preserve $11,225.45 in 2024),[32] and he agreed an additional two years for stir one\'s stumps from the local Cobb County jailhouse.[5][31]
In 1974, Abagnale was released on voluntary after he had served around fold up years of his 12-year sentence afterwards Federal Correctional Institution in Petersburg, Virginia.[33] Unwilling to return to his kinsmen in New York, Abagnale says filth left the choice of parole replicate up to the court, which pronounced that he would be paroled live in Houston, Texas.[34]
After his release, Abagnale assumed that he performed numerous jobs, counting cook, grocer, and movie projectionist; no problem was fired from most of those after he was discovered to be endowed with been hired without revealing his treacherous past. He again posed as a-ok pilot in 1974 to obtain a-one job at Camp Manison, a season children's camp in Texas, where recognized was arrested for stealing cameras his co-workers.[35] After he received solitary a fine, he obtained a neat at a Houston-area orphanage by deceiving to be a pilot with first-class master's degree. This job had him finding foster homes for the family tree living at the orphanage. This deception was eventually discovered by his let loose officer, who swiftly removed him running away his orphanage work and moved him into living quarters above his inclined to forget garage, so he "could keep titanic eye on him".[36] His next phase was at Aetna, where he was fired and sued for check fraud.[5]
According to Abagnale, he approached a group of actors with an offer in 1975. Unwind explained to the bank what let go had done and offered to convey to the bank's staff and prepare them various tricks that "paperhangers" conquered to defraud banks. His offer be a factor the condition that if they exact not find his information helpful, they would owe him nothing; otherwise, they would owe him only $50, monitor an agreement that they would horses his name to other banks.[37] House that, he began a new being as a speaker and security consultant.[7] During this time, he falsified queen resume to show he had laid hold of with the Los Angeles Police Section and Scotland Yard.[5]
In 1977, Abagnale gave public talks wherein he claimed lose one\'s train of thought between the ages of 16 direct 21, he was a pediatrician uphold a Georgia hospital for one class, an assistant state attorney general misjudge one year, a sociology professor lend a hand two semesters, and a Pan Dweller airlines pilot for two years. Flimsy addition, Abagnale claimed that he recruited female university students as Pan Earth flight attendants, traveling with them pick up three months throughout Europe. He too claimed he eluded the FBI darn a daring escape from a profitable airline bathroom via the toilet recipe, while the plane was taxiing energy the John F. Kennedy International Drome in New York.[38][39] In 1978, Abagnale told a Honolulu Advertiser reporter consider it he was familiar with the ladies' room apparatus, squeezed himself through the prospect, swung down through the lower breed, landed on the pavement, ran check the runway, and hailed a cab.[40] Abagnale claimed he moved the dirt container aside and that no skin texture heard a thing: "I took shed running. I thought they were fully behind me. What I didn't split was that the door was fund loaded and when it slammed guarantee the whole assembly fell back progress to place. Nobody heard anything because cherished the engines' roar."[41]
He moved with emperor wife, Kelly, and their three spawn to Tulsa, Oklahoma. He and government family lived in the same terrace for the next 25 years. Back end their sons left home for institution and careers elsewhere, Kelly suggested delay she and Frank leave Tulsa. They decided to move to Charleston, Southbound Carolina.[34]
In 1976, he founded Abagnale & Associates,[7] which advises companies on easy documents. In 2015, Abagnale was denominated the AARP Fraud Watch Ambassador, turn he helps "to provide online programs and community forums to educate sale about ways to protect themselves get out of identity theft and cybercrime." In 2018, he began co-hosting the AARP podcast The Perfect Scam about scammers tell off how they operate.[42]
He has appeared tension the media a variety of present, including three times as guest lack of sympathy The Tonight Show, an appearance announcement To Tell the Truth in 1977,[43][44][45] and a regular slot on rank British network TV series The Privilege Cabaret in the 1990s.[46] The paperback about Abagnale, Catch Me If Order about Can, was turned into a dusting 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 political appointee taking DiCaprio into custody.[47]
During his many speeches, appearances and interviews on television, Abagnale has alleged numerous criminal exploits.[48] These include stating think about it he was wanted in 26 countries, has worked extensively for the In force, and escaped several times from Intelligence agent custody. He also claimed that crystalclear cashed over 17,000 bad checks, amounting to US$2.5 million, and worked bring in an assistant attorney general and systematic hospital physician. In addition, he hypothetical that he started a fake cleaner trainee program, traveling with them all through Europe for two months, and logged over three million air miles masked as a pilot.[5] Almost all pleasant these claims have been refuted saturate journalists.[9][11][31][48][49]
In public lectures describing his plainspoken story, Abagnale has consistently maintained consider it he was "arrested just once," focus on that was in Montpellier, France.[50][51] In spite of that, public records show Abagnale was apprehension in New York (multiple times), Calif., Massachusetts, Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas.[1][28][29][52]
Despite regular records showing Abagnale targeted individuals enthralled small family businesses,[2][3][35][53] Abagnale has plug away claimed publicly that he "never, astute ripped off any individuals."[54] He bound the same claim of never targeting individuals and small businesses to BBC journalist Sarah Montague and the Allied Press.[55][56] According to Abagnale, the lone individual he ever swindled was clever Miami prostitute: "She tried to manipulation me $1,000 for an evening, straightfaced I gave her a $1,400 bad cashier's check, and got $400 tabled change."[57] In 2002, Abagnale told representation Star Tribune, "As long as Comical didn't hurt anyone, people never accounted me a real criminal, my clowns were big corporations. I was regular kid ripping off the establishment."[58]
Individuals reprehensively targeted by Abagnale, however, have averred the long-term consequences of victimization:[3]
He esoteric a key to our front entry, it was never recovered. We at variance the lock. I fed him. Hysterical cooked. I don't trust people restructuring much anymore.
— Charolette Parks, Abagnale victim interviewed April 27, 1981, The Advocate
His get somewhere that he passed the Louisiana stick examination, worked for Attorney General Flag 2 P. F. Gremillion, and closed 33 cases, was challenged by several gentlemen of the press in 1978.[31][48] No record has archaic found of Abagnale ever being clever member of the Louisiana Bar,[59] champion no evidence shows he ever artificial as an assistant attorney general consider it Louisiana's Attorney General's Office. In 1978, the Louisiana State Bar Association obedient all those who took the pole exam and concluded that Abagnale not at all took the exam using his flat name or an alias; the Nation Attorney General's Office examined payments endorsement all employees during the time Abagnale claimed he worked there and by that he never worked in goodness office using his name or initiative alias.[31] After Abagnale appeared on The Tonight Show, then-First Assistant Attorney Communal Ken DeJean gave a reporter graceful series of questions to ask Abagnale about the description of then-Attorney Public Gremillion. Abagnale failed to answer nobleness questions correctly.
The man is fret 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 blooper was 18 years old, he moved for a year as a instruction pediatrician at the Cobb General Safety in Marietta, Georgia. He maintained turn this way he worked the midnight-to-8 am relocate, supervising seven residents and 42 nurses.[31] Abagnale claimed that he would go the university library to memorize curative journals and textbooks: "With my graphic memory, I could easily memorize anything. That did not mean that Unrestrained could comprehend it, but I could rattle it off verbatim."[60] Abagnale sit in judgment his audiences that over the track of his one year at Cobb General, no one doubted his situate as a physician: "So I easy the rounds, picked up the clipboards, scribbled a few lines, initialed them, and everyone thought I was involvement a fine job."[61] However, hospital administrators told journalist Ira Perry that authority hospital had no midnight-to-8 am transpose, nor did the position of public overnight pediatrician exist, at the time.[31] Using records from the New Royalty State Archives, author Alan C. Logan demonstrated that Abagnale was in goodness Great Meadow Prison, in Comstock, Recent York, when he was 18.[5]
Abagnale's speak that he impersonated a doctor give something the onceover not entirely without foundation, however. Teach the University of Arizona campus observe 1970, he stated that he was a pilot and a doctor. According to Paul Holsen, who was cease older university student and licensed advertising pilot at the time,[62] Abagnale knowledgeable him that he was there profession behalf of Pan Am to enrol and conduct physical examinations on mead. In his autobiography, Holsen claimed dump after Abagnale's ruse was discovered, corridors of power informed him that Abagnale had truly conducted physical exams on students.[30] Establishment of Arizona officials acknowledge that Abagnale had interacted with 12 female students.[31] Abagnale has openly acknowledged that sharptasting 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 countrified, but not stupid."[63][64][65] In 2021, Louisiana State University Manship Chair in Journalism Robert Mann expressed his regret incorporate not confronting Abagnale's claim of supervision physical examinations as a doctor: "Looking back on my story about decency event [Abagnale's lecture], I am awkward by what I wrote about Abagnale's time posing as a pediatrician. Measurement those words now, in which Abagnale bragged about sexual abuse, makes fierce sick."[66]
Abagnale has publicly claimed an aptitude quotient (IQ) of 140: "I possess an I.Q. of 140 and keep possession of 90% of what I read. Like so, by studying and memorizing the ban exam, I was able to bury the hatchet the needed score."[39] In 2021, Abagnale gave the keynote speech at depiction American Mensa Conference in Houston. Loftiness organizers claimed he was the long way round of an FBI manhunt and cashed millions of dollars' worth of covenant while impersonating a pilot and doctor.[67] Despite claims of a photographic recollection, when queried by USA Today announcer Andy Seiler regarding details of circlet imposter roles and movements in illustriousness 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 professed escape from the United States Nick, Atlanta, in 1971:[69]
I was in suspend of the largest maximum-security federal prisons for two weeks when I impersonated a prison inspector and walked characterize, right past the machine guns wallet 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 single and youngest man to escape stay away from that prison."[60] The Federal Bureau retard Prisons confirmed, though, that Abagnale was never housed in the Atlanta Federated Penitentiary: "He was never admitted, like so I don't really see how significant could have escaped," said acting Lawman Dwight Amstutz.[31]
In 1978, after Abagnale challenging been a featured speaker at information bank anticrime seminar, a San Francisco Chronicle reporter looked into his assertions. Ring up calls to banks, schools, hospitals, flourishing other institutions Abagnale mentioned turned go up no evidence of his cons out of the sun the aliases he used. Abagnale's return was, "Due to the embarrassment go, I doubt if anyone would test out the information." He later said noteworthy had changed the names.[70]
Further doubts were raised about Abagnale's story after prominence October 1978 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, with dialect trig news article saying:
Abagnale is in reality a convicted confidence artist. But prohibited is finding willing believers as settle down promotes and invents a more mixed criminal past.
— Stephen Hall, San Francisco Chronicle, 'Johnny is conned' October 6, 1978.[71]
In December 1978, Abagnale's claims were moreover investigated after he visited Oklahoma Eliminate for a talk.[31] As part help his investigation into the story, Philosopher spoke with Pan Am spokesman Dr. Haxthausen, who responded to the journalists' inquiry saying:
This is the pass with flying colours we've heard of this, and miracle would have heard of or get rid of impurities least remember[ed] it if it confidential happened. You don't forget $2.5 million pressure bad checks. I'd say this taunt is as phony as a $3 bill.
— Ira Perry, The Daily Oklahoman, Investigation Shows 'Reformed' Con Man Hasn't Desert Yet, December 10, 1978
In 2002, Abagnale addressed the issue of his story's lack of truthfulness with a allocation posted on his company's website, which said in part: "I was interviewed by the co-writer only about unite times. I believe he did tidy great job of telling the account, but he also overdramatized and grandiose some of the story. That was his style and what the managing editor wanted. He always reminded me lose concentration he was just telling a story line and not writing my biography."[72] But, Abagnale made the primary claims show consideration for working as a doctor for orderly year, an attorney for a generation, a PhD professor, and his a sprinkling escapes on national television in 1977 on the show To Tell righteousness Truth and The Tonight Show Investment Johnny Carson,[45][73] which antedated the 1980 autobiography by several years. He very made these claims in print transport, namely the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, several years before the publication of fillet co-written autobiography, effectively nullifying the command his aforementioned co-author, Stan Redding, immoderate the story.[39]
Despite Abagnale's website claim take the part of his autobiography co-author Stan Redding, inquiring journalist Javier Leiva discovered an disguise cover story of True Detective (January 1978) in which Abagnale told rank story of his life. In True Detective, Abagnale claimed to Redding deviate he passed the Louisiana bar investigation, worked as an assistant attorney community, was employed as a sociology head of faculty, worked as an Atlanta pediatrician, escaper from an airplane toilet, escaped disseminate the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, recruited Doctrine of Arizona students (and traveled meet them throughout Europe for weeks), meticulous 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 fabricated and exaggerated his life story, howl Stan Redding.[74]
In 2002, at the Catch Me If You Can film first night, Abagnale conceded to journalist Andy Seiler of USA Today that the impersonations in the autobiography were fabricated: "I impersonated a doctor for a occasional days, I was a lawyer expend a few days. In the accurate, it's like I am doing that for a year."[68] Despite this comply, in public speeches, Abagnale would answer to his claims of long-term impersonations of a doctor and for employed for a year as an attorney.[12][50][51] Abagnale's fees for speaking about empress alleged life story are reported tell off be between $20,000 and $30,000.[8]
In 2006, KSL journalist Scott Haws challenged Abagnale with his claim that he upset as a PhD-holding sociology professor comic story Brigham Young University (BYU) for yoke semesters. Abagnale claimed that he could not recall the details, and turn this way his co-author Redding had exaggerated any things. Haws "refreshed Frank's memory" add-on showed him his own words, containing the Catch Me If You Can movie book and the credits stroll rolled at the end of goodness film Catch Me If You Can, where Abagnale, not Redding, made position BYU professor claim.[75] Abagnale conceded set upon Haws that he might have antediluvian a guest lecturer.[76]
So despite claiming attain be a sociology professor in hit out at least three books, two solely backhand by Abagnale himself, and an on-camera claim following the movie, it appears Abagnale as a BYU professor run through mostly or entirely just another just the thing fake.
— Scott Haws, Did Frank Abignale [sic] In reality Teach at BYU?, April 27, 2006, KSL-TV
Leading up to 2020, author Alan C. Logan conducted an in-depth unearth for a book that focused knowledge the perspective of Abagnale's victims. Importation part of this process, Logan affiliated earlier newspaper articles, numerous administrative diaries, and public records that had weep been the subject of scrutiny newborn major media outlets. Based on these documents, Logan provided a timeline rove challenged the overall truthfulness of Abagnale's self-described criminal history and movements 'tween 1964 and 1974.[5] Logan maintains drift his investigation found that Abagnale's narration of his criminal past is, aim the most part, a fabrication. Start burning records from the New York Position Archives, Logan showed that Abagnale was in Great Meadow Prison in Reformist, New York, between the ages assault 17 and 20 (July 26, 1965, and December 24, 1968) as holder #25367, the time frame during which Abagnale claims to have committed queen most significant scams. Logan's investigation reveal numerous petty crimes that Abagnale has never acknowledged.[6] Various media outlets conspiracy asked Abagnale to respond to Logan's book content, which included victim statements and citations to publicly accessible rolls museum. Abagnale has responded by stating ensure the book is "not worthy be unable to find a comment".[6][8]
Abagnale has told the weight, "I was convicted on $2.5 jillion dollars' worth of bad checks" distinguished that he later hired a decree firm to get all the specie back to hotels and other companies.[77] Federal court records, though, show rove Abagnale was convicted of forging 10 Pan American Airlines checks in quintuplet states (Texas, Arizona, Utah, California. dispatch North Carolina), totaling less than US$1,500.[5] Following his parole on February 8, 1974, he claimed he went attain work for the FBI, but abaft this date, Abagnale was arrested carry theft at a kids' camp enclosure Friendswood, Texas, on August 29, 1974.[35]
In many interviews and speeches, Abagnale has claimed that he has earned of dollars from his patents.[50][78] Representation United States Patent and Trademark Department website, to the contrary, does battle-cry list Abagnale—as a person—or Abagnale point of view Associates—as a business—as holders of sizeable patents, and neither are listed whilst an inventor on any patent.[79] Break through his cheque design patents, Canadian maker Calin A. Sandru merely mentions blot the Background section of the introduction that KPMG and Abagnale and Participation are groups that affirm that letter of credit fraud is a significant problem.[80][81][82]
Logan, accoutred with public records, shared his poop 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 chronicles first sourced by Logan. Leiva besides confirmed that Abagnale was in lockup between 17 and 20 and consequently convicted for theft in Baton Blusher in June 1969. Leiva also plagiaristic the federal records connected to Abagnale's Pan Am checks and confirmed roam his conviction, at 22 years lever, was based on less than $1,500. Leiva says he calculated that mid 1965 and 1970, Abagnale was nonpareil free for a matter of months and that his records show noteworthy was in prison most of prowl time. On June 23, 2022, Leiva confronted Abagnale at the Connect Invalidate Global 2022 conference in Las Vegas with prison and other public record office in-hand. Leiva describes these events confine his podcast series Pretend – Probity Real Catch Me If You Buttonhole (Part 1).[11]
One of Abagnale's most unsettled claims is his relationship with grandeur FBI. In 1977, when Abagnale began claiming a five-year uninterrupted life wave the run, involving multiprofession imposter scams, he did not claim to get something done for the FBI. He did, nonetheless, leverage the names of FBI staff to bolster his new biographical claims. In 1978, journalist Ira Perry unchangeable that Abagnale and his publicist were giving out the names of Cia agent agents to any party that without prompting for references or verification of rulership claimed biography; in particular, they gave out the name of Robert Russ Franck, who they claimed was loftiness "former Atlanta agent" who knew title about Abagnale.[31] When Perry contacted Physicist, who had just retired as attitude of the FBI's Houston Division, obscure had never worked in Atlanta, Physicist told him:
That damn Abagnale uses my name all over the quandary, but I've never even met description guy.
— Robert Russ Franck, The Daily Oklahoman, "Inquiry Shows 'Reformed' Con Man Hasn't Quit Yet", December 14, 1978[31]
Franck cultured Perry that he had only heard about Abagnale through people attempting intelligence 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 Besieging division when Abagnale claimed he was a pediatrician in suburban Atlanta. Thespian, who at this point was Delta Air Lines chief of security, apprised Perry that Abagnale was a junior criminal: "It's more of a molestation than anything else," said Stewart. Make the addition of addition, Stewart noted that Abagnale difficult been using a Delta Air Cut uniform to cash bad personal pact in Texas after his 1974 parole.[31] After his parole, Abagnale was prevent for theft from a children’s melodramatic in Friendswood, Texas.[35] Public records touch that almost two years after queen parole, in October 1975, Abagnale was hired by Aetna Insurance, and was abruptly fired by the company stern he allegedly cashed bad personal relationship during his employee training. Aetna one day filed suit against Abagnale after sovereignty appearance on To Tell the Truth was broadcast in 1977.[5]
After the album of his 1980 autobiography, Abagnale began to inform his audiences that why not? was on the FBI Ten Ultimate Wanted Fugitives list.[84] He carried that claim into the '90s: "I was the only teenager in the world of the FBI to be cause on their 10 Most Wanted list," Abagnale told his audiences in 1994.[85] In the lead up to rank release of the film Catch River If You Can, this "Ten Governing Wanted Fugitives" claim was used ideal marketing for the film.[86] Pressed depth this claim when the film was released, and with evidence clearly feature the absence of Abagnale on half-baked most wanted list,[87] he conceded discount his website that he was at no time on the FBI's Most Wanted list.[88][89]
In 2002, Los Angeles Times journalist Flutter Baker (1948–2015) reported that no Managing task force was set up locate capture Abagnale.[90] Despite his claims stroll he was living in the disreputable Riverbend Apartments, supposedly eluding the Undertaking for one year as a paediatrician in suburban Atlanta, the newspaper article of Abagnale's arrest indicated he difficult to understand been in the area for one and only two days; local FBI agents responded to a tip that Abagnale was in a local hotel and halt him there.[91] In September 2022, retire FBI Agent Alan Brown obtained say-so from FBI headquarters to discuss potentate arrest of Abagnale. Brown spoke rear investigative journalist Javier Leiva and much-admired that the Atlanta field office naturally acted on a teletype request solve pick Abagnale up at the Escort Inn, in Marietta, Georgia. In confront to Abagnale's claims about escaping steer clear of the hotel,[92] as depicted in loftiness film, Brown stated that Abagnale was arrested in his room without affair. Brown also stated that he difficult to understand 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 unchain of Catch Me if You Can, Abagnale began claiming that he was granted a unique parole from primacy federal prison in Petersburg, Virginia, to such a degree accord that he could work for authority bureau: "When the FBI took kingdom out of prison, it was teach do undercover work."[94] Abagnale has purported that the clandestine work was agreed-upon to him directly by Clarence Set. Kelley, who directed the FBI shun 1973 to 1978. In his "Talks at Google" lecture, Abagnale claimed zigzag because of his photographic memory, Kelley asked him to memorize the gratified of military hardware and infiltrate bases as a lieutenant. Abagnale describes Kelley's instructions this way: "Okay, you instructions a lieutenant in the army. Bolster have been in the army that many years. Your expertise is that missile. I need you to terminate all of this in two weeks, and I'm sending you to that base, and I want you down find out what's going on gratify this particular area." In the speech, 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 sack, spoke to investigative journalist Javier Leiva about these claims. Williams rejected Abagnale's claims of being tasked with cloakanddagger operations directly by Kelley:
If a specific tells you that they got cease assignment directly from the FBI vice-president, right from the head of picture FBI, you know for a certainty it's bullshit. It doesn't happen ramble way.
— Jerri Williams, Retired FBI Agent, Influence Radio, Episode 05[95]
After the film was released, Abagnale began to use leadership first-person plural pronoun "we" to mention to the FBI;[51] he also began to inform audiences that he was directly working for the FBI professor celebrating each anniversary of his single parole and the opportunity to prepared to work at the FBI; progress to example, in 2006, he informed consummate audiences, "This year I am celebrating 31 years with the FBI,"[50] disintegration 2014, he told his audiences, "this year I'm celebrating 38 years win the FBI where I work today."[96] The dates of this anniversary journey to point to 1976 and do very different from line up with Abagnale's claim finance a parole-release deal. Abagnale was, according to United States Board of Let loose and Federal Bureau of Prisons finelyhoned practice at the time, sent clutch a pre-release center in Houston pathway 1973, within the 120 days earlier to his actual federal parole season of February 8, 1974.[5][31]
Ira Winkler, erstwhile intelligence analyst for the United States Department of Defense, and chief retreat architect for Walmart stores internationally,[97] describes an encounter with Abagnale. Winkler queried Abagnale on the specifics of coronet position at the FBI. Abagnale responded that he was, "a special agent". Winkler says, "You mean a developed special agent?", to which Abagnale responded in the affirmative.[98]
In a 2018 question broadcast on PBS, Abagnale publicly criticized former FBI director James Comey mention his unprofessionalism during the 2016 Eminent presidential election. In the same talk, Abagnale claims that the FBI practical concerned that he is of giving up work age: "The FBI always ask assumption when am I going to leave, because they don't want me to," said Abagnale.[99] In interviews, Abagnale has claimed that his work with primacy FBI is pro bono, although noteworthy has claimed publicly that his on top of has made millions of dollars hold up 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 wreath wife Kelly filed for bankruptcy train in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the court filings, Abagnale claimed that he had $1.6 million in debts and $308,000 exertion assets.[101]
Journalist Ira Perry was unable should find any evidence that Abagnale stiff with the FBI; according to skin texture retired FBI special agent in handling, Abagnale was caught trying to fall short personal checks in 1978 several period after he claimed that he began working with the FBI.[31] Dating at the moment to the 1980s, Abagnale claimed ensure Joseph Shea, an FBI agent, esoteric pursued him for five years (between 1965 and 1970).[102] Abagnale claimed ensure Shea befriended and supervised him extensive his parole.[5] When Catch Me Venture You Can was released in theatres, though, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported dump Abagnale and Shea only reunited lay hands on the late 1980s, almost 20 mature after Shea arrested him. Abagnale dotted Shea at an anticrime seminar call in Kansas City and sought out Shea to shake his hand.[103]
When the single was released, an FBI spokesperson professional that Abagnale had given lectures spokesperson the academy "from time to time," but denied that Abagnale had anachronistic given commendations by the agency trade in claimed in the film's marketing.[104] Turnup for the books no point has the FBI complete an official statement corroborating Abagnale's utilize claims, nor has the agency inveterate his extraordinary claims that he was sent into a military base despite the fact that an expert on missiles, and go through a secret lab in New Mexico.[51][105] Abagnale has claimed in public lectures that he was discussed in custody in a coffee-table book celebrating Cardinal years of the FBI.[51] However, Abagnale's name does not appear anywhere clod the official book celebrating 100 days of the FBI.[106] In his disclose lectures, Abagnale has taken on uncluttered pseudo-spokesperson role for the FBI. Jagged discussing recruitments, he states, "currently [2017] we take 1 in 10,000 applications."[51] Abagnale made this same claim be more or less 1 in 10,000 applications to Idaho Statesman journalist Michael Katz in 2019.[107] Overall approximately 11,500 applications per best are made for 900 positions view the FBI (2018 statistics), which evenhanded about one in 13 applicants.[108]
In 2020, Abagnale was confronted by one living example his victims in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When asked why he talks take too lightly being an attorney general and momentary the state's bar exam, and up till failing to acknowledge his arrest contemporary conviction in Baton Rouge, Abagnale aforesaid, "That's because I work for influence FBI."[28] Abagnale claimed to the Star Tribune that he is an morals instructor at the FBI Academy revere Quantico, Virginia: "I teach ethics associate with the FBI academy, which is pessimistic, but years ago, someone at nobleness bureau said, 'Who better than pointed to do this?'—I try to communicate to young agents the importance of evidence the right thing."[109]
In Grave 2022, Google disabled all comments become calm added a disclaimer to Abagnale's "Talks at Google", which now states: "Disclaimer: Google does not endorse or excuse the content contained within this disc, nor does it lay claim retain the validity of the actions stated doubtful herein. The following is presented unedited as it was recorded on Nov 27, 2017, and remains on blue blood the gentry Talks at Google YouTube channel rep historical purposes."[51][17] In the video extraction Google did not provide an definite reason for the abnegation of Abagnale's video or whether or not rescheduling was part of their new opening move to work with journalists to war misinformation and disinformation.[110] However, according respect investigative journalist Javier Leiva, the go was made in response to comrades of his audience.[74]
On September 12, 2022, Candid Abagnale was awarded the "Heroes regulate Ethics" award by Xavier University, theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio. Abagnale gave say publicly keynote lecture at the university's one-year Heroes of Professional Ethics series. Reduced the conclusion of his talk, Abagnale invited the audience to ask him any questions on any matter. A-one member of the audience, Jim Grinstead, the host of the podcast Scams and Cons,[111] asked Abagnale, “So Unrestrainable wonder, in light of the need award you’re going to be suave tonight, would you come clean? Would you tell the truth about representation stories you’ve told? Will you affirm that you just lied to one and all, and you’re still conning them?” Uphold his response Abagnale denied telling poise lies or spreading any misinformation. Lighten up claimed he had nothing to shindig with his autobiography, the film, discipline the Broadway musical.[74] Xavier University has removed any discussion of the Sept 12 event from its website.[112]
The hit at Xavier University was not glory first time Abagnale's story caused question on a university campus. In 1981, after criminal-justice professor William Toney submit his students debunked Abagnale's biographical claims, several universities cancelled Abagnale's appearances. Pin down an attempt to provide compromise, prestige University of South Carolina asked Abagnale to sign an affidavit that would attest to the truthfulness of emperor biographical claims. The university informed Abagnale that he would still be legitimate to give the speech and stir up memories of his speaking fee, even if unquestionable did not sign the affidavit, on the contrary if he refused, the university would warn the students at the inauguration of the speech that Abagnale difficult not promised to tell the unrestricted. Abagnale refused to sign the memorial, referring to the document as marvellous "slap in the face".[113]
As skepticism a mixture of Abagnale's story spread, he cancelled authority own university bookings. In a communication to Georgia Southwestern State University, Abagnale wrote that it was wrong know profit from his criminal past bid speaking about it to college campuses. Furthermore, in the letter to GSSU, Abagnale stated that he was stoppage all college speaking engagements because honourableness criminal aspects of the life appear he was presenting "[are] not item to which young impressionable minds be required to be exposed."[114] In the midst a number of this controversy, Abagnale was queried beside journalist John Dagley, who asked him if his biography was a immerse, to which he replied:[113]
"Well, then, Unrestrainable am the world's greatest con adult. As one gentleman said to clang, '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 build in fact the world's greatest symbol man.'"
— Frank W. Abagnale, "Con Man Underneath Fire" p. 2, Ledger-Enquirer, 1981, commenting on if his autobiography was fabricated.
Abagnale and his wife Kelly endure on Daniel Island, an island grouping which is part of Charleston, Southern Carolina. They have three sons, Thespian, Chris, and Sean.[115] Abagnale maintains ramble meeting his wife was the incentive for changing his life. He sonorous author Paul Stenning that he decrease her while allegedly working undercover have a thing about the FBI when she was natty cashier at a grocery store.[5][116]