Who would have imagined that a talented fraudster with a fair sense of humor would become a leading specialist in the field of document security? We are talking about a man who became famous for the daring of his adventures - Frank Abigneyle Jr., who became the prototype of the hero Leonardo DiCaprio in the film "Catch Me If You Can."
Childhood and the beginning of activity
Abignale Sr. and his wife Paulette were parents of four children, of whom Frank Jr. was the third child. The father of the family was engaged in entrepreneurship, had a lot of affairs with people of different social statuses and was constantly in the know about political events. When the younger Frank was sixteen, his parents divorced, and by court order, he remained with his father, who, according to Frank himself, was not particularly happy about this. Heavily worried about the divorce of his parents, Abignail tried to reconcile them for a long time, but to no avail - in 1974 his father died.
Ironically, it was his father who became his first “victim”. Having entered the age when they are already interested in the opposite sex, young Frank, communicating with the girls, increasingly needed funds. Under the pretext of refueling the car (which his father gave him), Frank William Abignale Jr. asked for a credit card from his parent. And that, as they say, was only the beginning. In collusion with gas station employees, Frank made purchases of auto parts and fuel, punching large amounts on a credit card. And he shared the difference from the real price with his accomplices. As a result, the credit account rose to $ 3,400. And to at least somehow make secure, Abignail Jr. destroyed the checks received by mail. And if it weren’t for personal contact with the tax officer who came to their home, his father would not have known anything. This was not followed by any punishment; everything was limited to verbal punishment. However, after this, Frank decided to switch his “activity” to others.
Airline Conquest
In order to move around the country without hindrance, Frank Abignail was a little “retrained”: resorting to tricks, he got hold of the form of an airline pilot. He also forged documents. Thanks to this scam, he flew around the world for free. According to general rules, the employing company covered all expenses associated with flights, hotels and meals.
Also, Frank Abignail, being a “pilot”, cashed out fake checks, similar to those issued by the company to his employees, in the account of future “salaries”. Thus he flew over a million miles. In its arsenal - more than 25 flights. He visited at least 26 countries of the world. At the same time, Abignail managed to never sit at the helm of the plane, motivating it with the fact that "he had a little drink the day before."
Reprofiling
Federal agents day and night, but unsuccessfully tried to catch the elusive "pilot" forging bank checks. And, sensing this, Frank Abignail decided to step into the shadows for a while. However, this does not mean at all that he abandoned his adventures. On the contrary, he "retrained." Once again forging documents, he “became” a general practitioner, and then an assistant prosecutor. In the latter case, he had to learn, and then pass the certification exam.
From prisoners to consultants
Despite his resourcefulness and his luck, Frank Abignail (photo can be seen below) was still caught. He served six months in French and Swedish prisons. He was then extradited to the United States and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Frank was on the account and shoots. And the first he carried out before the time served. During the extradition, when the plane just landed at the US airport, Frank managed to leave the plane through a niche under the toilet. Soon he was caught. After some time, he fled again - and again unsuccessfully. But, even taking into account such "approximate" behavior, Abignail was released four years later. And the initiators were people in prominent positions at the FBI. Frank Abignail was released on the condition that he would become a consultant in the capture of fraudsters.
Honest life
When he became a law-abiding citizen, Frank had problems with employment - employers, having learned about the criminal record, did not want to accept him. But the cheerful Cheerleader Abignail Jr. did not give up and turned to the bank with an unexpected offer: he, like a former adventurer with an extensive track record, tells the bank employees how to trick them. In return, they pay him a fee of five hundred dollars and give recommendations to other banks. And if his advice is not useful, then he leaves with nothing. After that, Frank became the most respected security consultant in the field of checks and documentation.
"Catch me…"
And in conclusion, one cannot fail to note the brilliant film adaptation of the book “Catch Me If You Can,” written by Frank Abignail (a first-person biography was co-authored with Stan Redding). Her production was carried out by Stephen Spielberg himself, and the main roles were played by some of the most talented actors of our time - Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. By the way, Frank was very pleased with how Leo played it in his youth. In the process of working on the picture, Abignail Jr. (he was a consultant, and also played a cameo role of the policeman who arrested Abignail Jr.) talked a lot with the actors and not only on the set. More than once, he later noted that DiCaprio is a very sociable and welcoming host, and Tom Hanks can never be seen without mood, and it was very pleasant to talk and work with him.
Needless to say, such a talented tandem under the leadership of an equally talented director firmly won a place in the hearts of fans? Indeed, in this story (with the exception of some details not much different from the original biography) there is a place for comedy, drama, and simple human feelings, and even morality. After all, it is never too late to start your life anew, you only need to want to.