Frank Abagnale

Frank Abagnale.

Author: Tony.

Introduction.

Frank William Abagnale, Jr. (commonly known as Frank Abagnale) is a reformed fraud who now works as a security and a financial fraud consultant in the USA. Prior to his reformation, he was a renowned escapologist, impostor, confidence fraud and a forger (Abagnale, n.d).

Frank William Abagnale, Jr was brought up in Bronxville, New York by his parents, Frank Abagnale, Sr and Paulette Abagnale till he was 16 years old when his parents divorced, and he was forced to live with his father for some time before he moved out on his own (Hunt, 2010). His father owned a lucrative stationery business. His father was thus relatively affluent, and as such he was able to engage in local politics. Frank Abagnale, Sr had a tremendous influence on his son, since they had a very close relationship (Bell, n.d).

Frank Abagnale, Jr conned his own father, by using the truck and credit that had been given to him (by his father) to scheme a con game. This con game involved buying non-existent truck-related goods at filling stations, and then using the subsequent cash to finance his escapades. His guilt forced him to abandon this scheme and seek other ways of obtaining money (Bell, n.d).

 Thereafter, he engaged in his first bank fraud, whereby he wrote personal cheques that were debited on his already overdrawn account. This con enabled him to sustain himself (Mullens, 2008). However, this fraud was discovered by the bank when it realized that it had an overdrawn account which was being debited continuously. The bank immediately demanded that he clears the outstanding payment. He defaulted. This discovery led Frank Abagnale, Jr to open accounts in several different banks using different assumed identities in order to protract his travesty. He also printed his own fake cheques and deposited them in banks, and he was thus able to debit his various accounts. His fraud was discovered by the banks, when they noticed a consistent pattern of issuance of bad checks. The banks informed the police, but Frank was able to come up with an elaborate evasion stratagem that enabled him to evade capture by the police. However, he abandoned this idea when realized that he could print blank bank deposit slips which had his account number printed on them. He was able to slip these bogus deposit slips into a pile of genuine deposit slips, and hence deposits written on these fake deposit slips were credited to his account instead of the legitimate account (Bell, n.d).

Identity fraud.

Identity fraud is an actual deception whereby the criminal assumes the identity of someone else (either fictional or real) and then obtains financial benefits at the expense of that other person. Frank Abagnale, Jr first instance of identity fraud occurred when he disguised himself as a security guard in order to collect zip-up bags which contained money. He was motivated to disguise himself this way, since it was fairly easy and he was assured that he would collect the money. He opted out of this fraud when he realized that his con would be uncovered. He went on to enjoy the proceeds in New York City (Bell, n.d).

His second instance of identity fraud occurred when he was 16 years old. Frank Abagnale, Jr impersonated an airline pilot in order for him to travel across the globe without incurring any expenses. He was motivated to impersonate the airline pilots when he witnessed the trendy lifestyle of the airline pilots and stewardesses at the New York City’s Commodore Hotel.  This impersonation occurred as is explained hereafter. First of all, he forged an employee identification card for PanAm Airlines, and a license of a registered pilot (the FAA license). He thereafter called the airline and informed them that he needed a new uniform because his other uniform was lost (Bell, n.d). He received the uniform, and for the next two years he was able to fly to 26 countries in about 250 flights, thus covering a total flight distance of over a million miles through deadheading (McIlvan, 2005). Also, his escapades with stewardesses enabled him to increase his knowledge about the airline industry. Moreover, he was also able to debit all his expenses (such as, hotel stays and food) to the accounts of the company. Later on, Frank Abagnale, Jr stated that his success at identity theft was due to his personality, remarkable surveillance and intensive research into a potential scam. However, a very close brush with the police who were on regular inspection duty almost blew his cover. He opted out of this fraud, and schemed a new way of making a living (Bell, n.d).

Thereafter, Frank Abagnale, Jr went to live in Atlanta where he impersonated himself as Dr. Frank Williams. A pediatrician who happened to move to the same apartment complex where he lived introduced Frank to the administrator of his (the pediatrician’s) hospital in Georgia. The administrator was impressed by the superb interpersonal skills of Dr. Frank Williams, and he persuaded him to fill in the vacant position of the chief resident pediatrician. In this position, Frank was able to cover up his impersonation by delegating all the activities to his junior doctors and medical interns. However, a situation arose that almost uncovered his fraud. The situation demanded that he (Frank Abagnale, Jr) manage a critical injury in the lower limb of a child. However, he was able to convince his over-enthusiastic medical interns to manage the child for him. Frank Abagnale, Jr realized that he could have killed the child, and his conscience forced him to quit this fraud. He resigned from the hospital a few days later, but fortunately his position was immediately filled (Bell, n.d). Thereafter, he decided to go to Louisiana. He was now 19 years old.

In Louisiana, Frank Abagnale, Jr met a female flight attendant whom he knew from his previous deadheading escapades. He immediately dated the woman. He informed her that he had received a law degree from Harvard University. His lady friend was able to introduce Frank to a genuine male lawyer. The lawyer was impressed by the fact that Frank had studied Law at Harvard University, and he (the genuine lawyer) convinced Frank to pursue the vacant position of a lawyer at the office of the District Attorney General. The requirements were the Frank should submit his university transcripts (to the office) and pass the bar examination for the state of Louisiana. Frank forged the university transcripts and submitted them. Thereafter, he studied law for a week and attempted the bar examination and he failed. He studied more, and attempted the bar examination again, but he failed. After spending two months meticulously studying Law, Frank attempted the bar examination for the third time and he passed. Thereafter, he was employed as a legal assistant attached to the division of corporate law within the office of the Attorney General. His legitimate earnings enabled him to sustain his lifestyle. However, his pretense was almost uncovered when a genuine law graduate from Harvard University began to nag Frank with incessant questions about Frank’s background. Frank opted to quit before his pretense was uncovered. He resigned and then returned back to his old adventure of deadheading and forging cheques (Bell, n.d).

Frank Abagnale, Jr acquired a new identity as a co-pilot working for TWA (Trans-World Airlines). He also forged an FAA license, and thereafter obtained new TWA co-pilot uniforms. During these deadheading travels, he banked falsified and forged cheques in banks all over the world. He was able to travel to Utah, and he was fascinated with the place to the extent that he abandoned his deadheading adventures and decided to settle in Utah, albeit for a short time (Bell, n.d).

In Utah, Frank Abagnale, Jr decided to impersonate himself as a professor of sociology. He took the name Professor Frank Adams. This is despite the fact that he had never been to any university. He falsified all the necessary credentials. After that, he went to Brigham Young University and secured an interview with the dean. The dean was impressed with Frank’s personality, (fictitious) background and charm. He was hired within an hour on a provisional basis, and was given two courses to teach. His classes were lucid, interesting and highly remarkable. This made him to be highly revered by both his students and the university academic staff. Unfortunately, he was forced to quit after a full-term replacement was found (McIlvain, 2005). Then, he went to California.

In California, Frank Abagnale, Jr sophisticated his art of paperhanging. He created fake cheques and cashed them. The proficiency and phenomenal sophistication of his forgery and confidence tricks enabled Frank to accumulate tremendous wealth in relation to his young age (Bell, n.d).

The discovery of frauds and the outcomes.

Frank Abagnale, Jr fell in love with a female flight attendant. They were enchanted with each other, to the extent that they planning to get married. Frank decided to reveal his true identity and his criminal activities to his fiancée. His fiancée reported him to the police and the federal authorities. He narrowly evaded capture by law enforcement agencies. He went back to paperhanging and deadheading. He even managed to swindle $10,000 from his fiancée’s father. US state troopers arrested Frank for vagrancy in Boston, but he was able to shake off the arrest before the state police arrived. He now perfected his escape plans. However, later on, he was arrested in France (McIlvain, 2005). He was waiting for his flight to depart from France, when a stewardess (whom Frank had dated) recognized him. She immediately notified the airport authorities and the police. Finally, Frank Abagnale, Jr was apprehended by the police, and reports of his arrest generated media frenzy as twelve nations demanded his extradition (Bell, n.d). He was extradited first to Sweden, then to Italy and finally to the USA. He served prison terms in all these extradition destinations. He was rehabilitated in prison, and he emerged out as a reformed person. He is now a security and a financial fraud consultant in the USA (Mullens, 2008).

References.

Bell, R. (n.d). Skywayman: The Story of Frank W. Abagnale Jr. Crime Library: Criminal Minds

            and Methods. 

McIlvain, R. (2005, March 11). The art of the steal. BYU NewsNet.

Abagnale, F. (n.d). About Frank Abagnale [Data file]. Retrieved from

            http://www.abagnale.com/aboutfrank.htm.

Sauter, J. (2012, November 20). Frank Abagnale of “Catch Me If You Can” Visits AU. Kogod

            News.

Mullens, L. (2008, June 18). How Frank Abagnale Would Swindle You. US News and World

            Report. 

Hunt, S. (2010). Charleston Profile: Bona Fide. Charleston Magazine.