Frank W. Abagnale
Author of Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake
About the Author
Image credit: EMS Author Photos
Works by Frank W. Abagnale
The Art of the Steal: How to Protect Yourself and Your Business from Fraud, America's #1 Crime (2001) — Author — 279 copies, 7 reviews
Stealing Your Life: The Ultimate Identity Theft Prevention Plan (2007) — Author — 101 copies, 3 reviews
Scam Me If You Can: Simple Strategies to Outsmart Today's Rip-off Artists (2019) — Author; Author — 86 copies, 1 review
לא תתפסו אותי 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Other names
- Adams, Frank
Williams, Frank
Black, Robert - Birthdate
- 1948-04-27
- Gender
- male
- Occupations
- security consultant
business executive - Organizations
- Abagnale & Associates (CEO)
- Short biography
- Frank W. Abagnale is one of the world's most respected authorities on the subjects of forgery, embezzlement and secure documents. For over thirty years he has lectured to and consulted with hundreds of financial institutions, corporations and government agencies around the world.
Mr. Abagnale has been associated with the FBI for over 35 years. He lectures extensively at the FBI Academy and for the field offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. More than 14,000 financial institutions, corporations and law enforcement agencies use his fraud prevention programs. In 1998, he was selected as a distinguished member of "Pinnacle 400" by CNN Financial News. Today Mr. Abagnale is a member of the Board of Editors for Bank Fraud and IT Security, as well as the Financial Fraud Law Report.
Today, the majority of Mr. Abagnale's work is for the U. S. government. His company does not sell products or provide services with the exception of his public speaking - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Bronxville, New York, USA
- Places of residence
- Bronxville, New York, USA
Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
Like many people I was drawn to this book after hearing about Frank Abagnale’s story for years and having seen the movie of the same name. About halfway through listening to the book, I began to be suspicious of Abagnale’s story, so I researched the man and his supposed career impersonating everything from a teacher to a surgeon to an airline pilot. Sure enough, the more I found on the real Frank Abagnale, the more obvious it was that not only had he lied to all of the people who show more supposedly bought his stories as all of these professionals, but he also lied to readers of this book and to Steven Spielberg who was naive enough to make the story into a movie. You see, virtually all of this was made up by Abagnale. And if you do decide to read the story knowing this, you’ll have the same reaction I did: there is no way this guy did this stuff. So, if you happen to see this book at the library sitting on the biography/memoir shelf, tactfully grab it, take it to the circulation desk and suggest to them that they reshelve it in the fiction section. Because that’s what it is, a novel. Not a memoir. show less
Before I start taking apart this book for this review, I do want share that in recent years there has been some speculation on the validity of this memoir. In fact, there are sources that state the whole affair never happened. I stand somewhere in the middle – I think it is human nature to either undermine or overestimate our importance and contributions depending on our personality make-up as an individual. Every word in Abagnale‘s book screams of self-importance, and it would not show more surprise me in the least if much of Catch Me if You Can has been dramatized. I proceed with this review as though the book itself is simply that, a book. I’m not here to provide commentary on the validity of Abagnale‘s story.
I first came across Catch Me if You Can through the DiCaprio/Hanks film. I remember it coming out when I was younger, and I was absolutely captivated by both the stellar actors and the con man’s story. The book has been on my TBR for over a decade. I expected the same high-stakes drama but charmingly deluded personality the film offered. A lot of the events in the book do match what made it to film, and I will write a whole review comparing the two at some point. What makes the biggest difference, and what ruined the book for me, was Abagnale‘s voice.
Abagnale‘s writing style is strong, and the book flows. That’s not the problem. Rather, I spent most of Catch Me If You Can cringing at the terminology and presumptions the author made. It took nearly 100 pages before a female-identifying person was described by some other noun than that of an animal. Birds, chicks, foxes – you name it, he used it. Language is important, and from this choice, it’s evident how little respect Abagnale has for women. Maybe it’s different with his wife, but as a reader with only this book for context, it felt gross. This behavior characterizes Abagnale both as a writer and a character. The language the first pages alone tells me the author is pretentious and sexist. That tone continued for the rest of the book.
In fact, sexism is rampant in this book. It’s clear Abagnale only views women as sexual objects. He constantly uses them as pawns. Professional woman are the main non-monetary victims of his crimes He perpetually uses them for his own pleasure, targets them as easy to manipulate, and illustrates most of them as unintelligent and naïve. More than once, he blames women his mistakes and trouble. Early in the book, he claims women (excuse me – “birds”) were the reason he got into crime in the first place.
So that’s the flaw in the content. As far as technical writing, the first half of Catch Me if You Can is too slow. It is wrapped up in setting Abagnale‘s childhood and his foray into flight. The second half of the book deals with all of the rest of his other cons as well as his international trip and finally his arrests. The balance is way off, and the pacing is messy.
If the early pacing and Abagnale’s voice don’t push you away, the underlying story is interesting. This book is a genre classic if you are fascinated by white collar crime or the art of the con. You have to be really patient for the ramblings of a self-important, older cis white man to enjoy this book. It’s incredibly, stereotypically the type of book you would expect from that caricature, and it’s something between offensive and exhausting when it isn’t being entertaining. And often even when it is. show less
I first came across Catch Me if You Can through the DiCaprio/Hanks film. I remember it coming out when I was younger, and I was absolutely captivated by both the stellar actors and the con man’s story. The book has been on my TBR for over a decade. I expected the same high-stakes drama but charmingly deluded personality the film offered. A lot of the events in the book do match what made it to film, and I will write a whole review comparing the two at some point. What makes the biggest difference, and what ruined the book for me, was Abagnale‘s voice.
Abagnale‘s writing style is strong, and the book flows. That’s not the problem. Rather, I spent most of Catch Me If You Can cringing at the terminology and presumptions the author made. It took nearly 100 pages before a female-identifying person was described by some other noun than that of an animal. Birds, chicks, foxes – you name it, he used it. Language is important, and from this choice, it’s evident how little respect Abagnale has for women. Maybe it’s different with his wife, but as a reader with only this book for context, it felt gross. This behavior characterizes Abagnale both as a writer and a character. The language the first pages alone tells me the author is pretentious and sexist. That tone continued for the rest of the book.
In fact, sexism is rampant in this book. It’s clear Abagnale only views women as sexual objects. He constantly uses them as pawns. Professional woman are the main non-monetary victims of his crimes He perpetually uses them for his own pleasure, targets them as easy to manipulate, and illustrates most of them as unintelligent and naïve. More than once, he blames women his mistakes and trouble. Early in the book, he claims women (excuse me – “birds”) were the reason he got into crime in the first place.
So that’s the flaw in the content. As far as technical writing, the first half of Catch Me if You Can is too slow. It is wrapped up in setting Abagnale‘s childhood and his foray into flight. The second half of the book deals with all of the rest of his other cons as well as his international trip and finally his arrests. The balance is way off, and the pacing is messy.
If the early pacing and Abagnale’s voice don’t push you away, the underlying story is interesting. This book is a genre classic if you are fascinated by white collar crime or the art of the con. You have to be really patient for the ramblings of a self-important, older cis white man to enjoy this book. It’s incredibly, stereotypically the type of book you would expect from that caricature, and it’s something between offensive and exhausting when it isn’t being entertaining. And often even when it is. show less
I was actually upset that the story was told in only 300 pages. I was so engrossed in the detail, I would have read it in the breathless, eager fashion that I did, had it been six times the size. There's just so much joy and terror and discovery and cleverness in this trip-hammering (in regards to his heart and his airline scheming) adventure. You're right there with Abagnale, figuring things out on the fly, amazed at the success of his ventures, going boldly, and ultimately, getting really, show more really, really lucky despite his gargantuan crimes. The movie captured none of the fear of being caught, the reality of French prisons and a million other nuances that make this book one helluvan achievement and a wonderful read such that I haven't experienced in quite a long time. show less
I've always been fascinated by con men. I think it has something to do with the idea of disappearing completely into some other personality, a front that exudes confidence (something I've always lacked). So, when the movie for Catch Me if You Can was released, I was absolutely keen to see it.
The movie, of course, drew my interest to the book, especially since this was the story of a REAL LIFE CON MAN! It took me a while to get around to a) finding a copy, and b) finally reading it; but here show more we finally are.
Frank Abagnale had a five year criminal escapade across the globe, passing bad checks all over and living the good life, all before he even turned 21. He was a master forger, and amazingly intelligent, finding gaps in the system and using those to his advantage. Of course, once he was caught and served his time, he then worked with law enforcement to close those same gaps he used to well in his criminal days, assuring no other paperhanger would have his kind of luck.
He was a pilot, a doctor, a law professor, all without the benefit of schooling. He still managed to study, learning everything he could to make his cons believable, he just lacked the official accreditation to make what he was doing legal.
This is the story of a brilliant mind who could do literally anything he put his mind to, with just a little fudging of any official documentation he might need. On top of that, it's a fun read. Abagnale is very... frank in his portrayal of his exploits, sharing just how paranoid and lonely his life was, and making sure to tell any future lawbreakers reading his book that he was lucky, so very, very lucky; until, that is, he finally got caught and all that karma hit him like a ton of bricks during his French prison stay. What a horrid experience.
Definitely a worthwhile read if you are a fan of the movie, or just con men and crime stories in general. show less
The movie, of course, drew my interest to the book, especially since this was the story of a REAL LIFE CON MAN! It took me a while to get around to a) finding a copy, and b) finally reading it; but here show more we finally are.
Frank Abagnale had a five year criminal escapade across the globe, passing bad checks all over and living the good life, all before he even turned 21. He was a master forger, and amazingly intelligent, finding gaps in the system and using those to his advantage. Of course, once he was caught and served his time, he then worked with law enforcement to close those same gaps he used to well in his criminal days, assuring no other paperhanger would have his kind of luck.
He was a pilot, a doctor, a law professor, all without the benefit of schooling. He still managed to study, learning everything he could to make his cons believable, he just lacked the official accreditation to make what he was doing legal.
This is the story of a brilliant mind who could do literally anything he put his mind to, with just a little fudging of any official documentation he might need. On top of that, it's a fun read. Abagnale is very... frank in his portrayal of his exploits, sharing just how paranoid and lonely his life was, and making sure to tell any future lawbreakers reading his book that he was lucky, so very, very lucky; until, that is, he finally got caught and all that karma hit him like a ton of bricks during his French prison stay. What a horrid experience.
Definitely a worthwhile read if you are a fan of the movie, or just con men and crime stories in general. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 9
- Members
- 3,631
- Popularity
- #6,970
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 109
- ISBNs
- 94
- Languages
- 14
