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
Hannah Hennon
Frank Abagnale lived an interesting life. He went from lying and committing fraudulent crimes to finally being caught by the FBI and three countries. He served his time in France, Sweden, and the United States. He went from committing all those crimes in those countries to working with the FBI in the United States. He ended up having a normal life like how he wanted, and he help stop crime similar to ones he committed in the past.
Rahni Hingoranee
What an incredible story of a con-artist. Faking a pilot’s license is one thing, but a college diploma is incredible. It is insane the levels he would stoop to in order to get what he wanted. The article shows his good conscience in that he eventually wanted to steer clear of crime. It is a “happy ending” that his sentence was reduced and he used his skills for good alongside the FBI.
Jacob Silva
What an interesting and crazy story, to think one man could fake so many things even a pilot’s license is truly astounding and a bit scary to think of getting on a plane piloted by someone with a fraud license. What’s even more crazy to me is that after faking his way through life he get’s caught serves 4 years then get’s busted out by the FBI in exchange for his services.
Jose Maria Llano Aranalde
I really liked this article. I had watched the movie and new a little about him but the article went into further detail. I think that it was a very smart move from the FBI to hire him. He was the best at what he did. For the FBI to catch more people like him they had to learn from the best an that was Frank Abagnale.
Briley Perkins
This article was very interesting. I have heard of people faking ID’s just to drink underage, but Frank went to the next level of being a con artist. I mean I can not believe he faked a pilots license. Additionally, the fact that the FBI could not find out who he was, shows how good he was at hiding his identity. It was his ex-girlfriend who had to tip the FBI on who he was for them to finally find him.
Cynthia Perez
What a great story to write about. A renegade turned legal civilian,it’s truly amazing how he was able to do that. It’s also kind of funny how the FBI was getting tired of dealing with this guy and how his ex girlfriend out of spite completely exposed him. At least in the end he really wanted to live a normal life, even after committing all those crimes, he was able to find his way back down from that harsh lifestyle.
Samantha Bonillas
I find it amazing that someone could be a con artist at such a young age and be successful at it. The fact that he faked so many things such as his diploma, pilots license and other things. He had done so many of these things that went unnoticed by the FBI,which is crazy in my opinion. The reason they found him was because of a tip that was given by his ex girlfriend. This article is well written and gave insight on the life of this man and his life as a con artist.
Jacqueline Mendez
Con-artist is a different genius breed. You must be a pure genius to be able to scam al ost your entire life!. I found this article very interesting as I suspected this criminal to be put in jail but had a true plot twist by allowing him to work for the FBI truly amazed me! I guess you could say that it was a very smart move to catch other criminals.
Michael Lazcano
Before reading this article I had heard the name Frank Abignale from the film “Catch me If you can,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. I always thought it story was very wild and astounding considering the numerous times he outran the law, and how easy it was at times it was to get away with breaking the law. This article goes into more detail on the man himself and his personal story which I appreciate. This was a very well written and well presented article!
Sabrina Doyon
It is hilarious to me how easy it was to get away with cons and fraud in the older days. Technology really has changed the world so much. Although he did scam many people and cause chaos, he didn’t deserve to be tortured in foreign prisons. But out of nowhere! The FBI offers him basically a plea deal! What a lucky break this guy got.