Without a thought, he cashed in the fraudulent checks that he had been faking for years. As his only source of money, this is the one crime Abagnale could not stop committing. Wanting to settle down, he faked a diploma and convinced everyone that he indeed had credentials. As he “retired” from a life full of con schemes and trickery, Frank Abagnale took on the job of a small-town physician. He proceeded to pretend to live out the typical life of a bachelor in the American dream, filled with having a small apartment, a dream job, and peace and quiet all around. However, his simple life was about to be turned upside down when the Feds came knocking on his door.1
Frank William Abagnale had been in the criminal world for a long time before he decided to finally settle down. From minor crimes like lying about his age, to major ones, like creating a fake Airplane pilot license, he did it all.2 At his core, he craved the thrill that came with always being ahead of the law. However, when he realized that his risks had become too much for him to handle all at once, he began to consider the benefits that a relatively normal life offered. After some internal debate, Abagnale decided to move to France and finally make a life for himself outside of the criminal world. He considered abandoning his life of crime mainly because he found no satisfaction from running from the law anymore. He wanted a normal life, the one always seen as the American Dream.3 Although he had all but abandoned crime, he was not prepared for the ironic turn that his life was about to take.
As Frank Abagnale prepared to move to France to finalize his decision to straighten out, the FBI was hard at work trying to figure out who he was. Having heard many things about an emerging con-artist, they realized that they needed to act soon, as their perpetrator had great potential to slip through their fingers. The investigator on the Abagnale case quickly contacted other Bureaus in countries that Abagnale had committed crimes in, and put up wanted posters that could help citizens identify him. At the height of the case, agencies in France, Sweden, and the United States all cooperated in hunting Abagnale down. Despite their best efforts, however, all hopes of finding Abagnale began to fade. He had completely disappeared from their radar, and the agencies were running out of options.4
Miraculously, a young woman was able to answer their questions before the investigation faded into obscurity. A name was never mentioned in reports, but she was later confirmed to be a stewardess for Air France and the ex-girlfriend of Frank Abagnale. She had seen one of the wanted posters that the international agencies had posted and ultimately decided to turn him into the authorities. Many theories mentioned her as the ex-girlfriend that wanted revenge, but this could never be confirmed. This was the first time that the FBI had gotten ahead of Abagnale.5 Using the newfound tip, the three countries were able to compile enough information to make an official arrest in 1969, when Abagnale was just twenty-one and living in a small town in Southern France.6
At the time, Abagnale thought that treatment in European prisons was inhumane. Abagnale was kept in a dark cell, with no electricity, heating, proper sanitation, or bed. The situation was so pressing that the young criminal would later claim that his time in the local Perpignan prison was one of the hardest periods of his entire life. By the end of his stay, he went from one-hundred ninety-eight pounds to just under one-hundred and ten pounds.6 When he was transferred to a Swedish prison, he found it largely similar in treatment. It was in that cold and dark Swedish prison that Abagnale truly gave up hope. Lying on that cold, steely floor, he finally realized that he had lost everything. Although it was never truly his, losing his sense of freedom and the idea of living a normal life deeply affected Abagnale. He spent about six months in France and another six months in Sweden. After his tour of European prisons, he was extradited by the United States in 1971 to serve his last sentence. Once in the United States, a federal judge sentenced Abagnale to twelve years in federal prison in Atlanta, Georgia. At the time, it seemed like Abagnale would never get a happy ending.8
Everything changed, however, when the FBI came knocking on Abagnale’s prison cell door in 1986. After four years in federal prison, he was offered a new sentence: If he were to help the FBI in solving crimes similar to his, they would allow him to serve the remainder of his sentence and finish his parole conditions with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.6 In the end, Abagnale got what he always wanted: a normal life filled with uncomplicated things. After Frank Abagnale served his sentence with the FBI, he decided to continue working for the agency. He’s been working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for forty years following his release, and now gives conferences on how to stop cybercrime, fraud, and identity theft.
As an honest civilian, he married his wife, Kelly Anne Welbes Abagnale, who he’s been happy with for over thirty years. Together they had three children, Sean, Scott, and Chris Abagnale. He became a professional writer, and he even got his life etched out in a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio.10 He accomplished his life goals, through legal processes of course, and much more. In the end, his capture by the FBI was not the end of his life, but rather, it was the beginning.
- Frank Abagnale Frank and Stan Redding, Catch Me If You Can: the True Story Of A Real Fake (London: Mainstream Digital, 2011), 72. ↵
- Frank Abagnale Frank and Stan Redding, Catch Me If You Can: the True Story Of A Real Fake (London: Mainstream Digital, 2011), 22. ↵
- Patrick Lynch, “Catch Me If You Can: The Real Story of Frank Abagnale, Jr.” History Collection, July 2017, http://historycollection.co/catch-can-real-story-frank-abagnale-jr/ ↵
- Patrick Lynch, “Catch Me If You Can: The Real Story of Frank Abagnale, Jr.” History Collection, July 2017, http://historycollection.co/catch-can-real-story-frank-abagnale-jr/ ↵
- Frank Abagnale Frank and Stan Redding, Catch Me If You Can: the True Story Of A Real Fake (London: Mainstream Digital, 2011), 89. ↵
- FedScoop, “Frank Abagnale – FedTalks 2013,” YouTube, June 20, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJIc16aqpO8. ↵
- FedScoop, “Frank Abagnale – FedTalks 2013,” YouTube, June 20, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJIc16aqpO8. ↵
- Frank Abagnale Frank and Stan Redding, Catch Me If You Can: the True Story Of A Real Fake. (London: Mainstream Digital, 2011), 244. ↵
- FedScoop, “Frank Abagnale – FedTalks 2013,” YouTube, June 20, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJIc16aqpO8. ↵
- Frank Abagnale Frank and Stan Redding, Catch Me If You Can: the True Story Of A Real Fake (London: Mainstream Digital, 2011), 24-37. ↵
46 comments
Eric Hernandez
This article was really interesting. I have never heard of this story but this man sounds like a really good con artist. I find it crazy how he was caught by his ex recognizing him. I also find really nice how he was able to realize his mistakes and turn his life around to live a normal life while also helping the FBI.
Nicholas Burch
Ever since I saw “Catch Me If You Can” starring Leonardo Decaprio, I’ve been fascinated by the life of Frank Abagnale. How he managed to scam so many people into thinking he was a different person, through many professions, is something that most people in this world can not do. He did it with his smart wit, charisma, and charm. I’m sure it was hard for him to find happiness for a while since he was running from the law and constantly lying to people, so it’s heartwarming to see that the FBI gave him a second chance at a good life.
Bailey Godwin
This article was so up and down because one second things are hunky dory and the next they are upside down. He definitely embodied the definition of a con artist with his false identities and fake income and fake pilot license. I guess he served his penance in being in federal prison for four years. It is cool to see he has a wife and a family through everything.
Elizabeth Santos
Well, Abagnale certainly exemplifies what it means to be a con artist. I had always wondered how far a con man could go, and this one made it pretty far with his falsified credentials and steady income of fake cash. The irony is too much; the man wanted the American Dream but hadn’t worked for anything…and just thought he could move to France. Helping the FBI in return for a “normal life” is such a bizarre yet amazing twist! This article painted an interesting story for sure.
Juliana Montoya
The story of this man is very interesting especially with the twist at the end. The article was shot but shared sufficient information over the life of this con artist. The fact that he got away with a lot of his crimes was very surprising but it is very interesting to know how far he went with them.
Melanie Fraire
Reading this was a roller of emotions as one minute it was going good for him and in the next he was faced with a difficult situation, either way it was nice to read about a good ending for once. Prior to reading this article I had never heard of him before but I found his story to be very interesting since it’s not a typical story you’d hear.
Brandon Torres
I was first introduced to this story, thanks in part to the hit film “Catch Me If You Can.” The film focused more on the entirety of Frank Abagnale’s life, however, this article focused more on the climax of the story and I love it for the fact that it gave a human view on the man who was regarded as the youngest con artist in American history! Instead of treating Frank as a true criminal entity with a heart of evil, the author instead shows the true mistreatment Abagnale had to endure, while also mentioning the inevitable silver lining of eventually working for the agency that yearned for his arrest oh so bad!!
Juliana Montoya
The story of this man is very interesting because he had many ups and downs but in the end, he ended up getting everything he wished for. The irony behind his story is a very good on as well because through his crimes, he was able to land a job opportunity with the FBI since he had committed many similar crimes. The life he had in prison was also very interesting because of the conditions that he was in, but in the end it was very fascinating to read about how his life had turned around.
Kristina Tijerina
This article took a twist that I was not expecting, but was happy to read about. Until now, I had never heard of a con artist who ended up in prison working with the FBI to help solve cases similar to his. It was truly astonishing to learn that Abagnale got to live the life that he always wanted, especially after it seemed like he had ruined his life forever. Abagnale really turned his life around, and I think it’s so fascinating that he was willing to work with the FBI to fix his sentence, and later marry and start a family. This article told Abagnale’s story very well, and it was very enjoyable to read.
Brianna Ramos
I’ve seen the movie that is based on Frank Abagnale’s conning, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio called Catch Me if You Can. The entire story about Frank’s con jobs is insane! This was a very interesting article and informed me about what happened to Frank after the cons. I did know that the FBI offered him a deal where if he helped them solve cases like his, he would get a new sentence. However, I didn’t know about his life after and that he speaks at conferences regarding crimes similar to his.