Frank Abagnale

Who is Frank Abagnale?

Frank William Abagnale, Jr. is an American security consultant known for his history as a former confidence trickster, check forger, and impostor. He became one of the most famous impostors ever, claiming to have assumed no fewer than eight identities as an airline pilot, a doctor, a U.S. Bureau of Prisons agent, and a lawyer. He escaped from police custody twice, before he was 21 years old. He served less than five years in prison before starting to work for the federal government. He is currently a consultant and lecturer for the FBI academy and field offices. He also runs Abagnale & Associates, a financial fraud consultancy company.

Abagnale's life story provided the inspiration for the feature film Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo Dicaprio as Abagnale, a Broadway musical of the same name which opened in April 2011, and a ghostwritten autobiography also of the same name.