Frank Abagnale, Jr.

Frank William Abagnale Jr. is an American-French con man, convicted felon, author, and security consultant whose documented crimes consist primarily of cheque fraud and petty theft targeting individuals and small businesses. He later became famous for claiming that, while still a teenager, he impersonated a Pan American World Airways pilot, physician, lawyer, and university professor while traveling internationally and passing millions of dollars in fraudulent checks. These claims formed the basis of his 1980 autobiography, Catch Me If You Can, co-written with Stan Redding. The book inspired the film of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg in 2002, in which Abagnale was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, and later a Broadway musical adaptation. Many of Abagnale's claims have since been disputed or contradicted by documentary evidence.