“Technology breeds crime. It always has, and always will.”
So says reformed con artist, Frank Abagnale, played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the Steven Spielberg movie, “Catch Me if You Can,” based on his memoir. If there is one person who knows about fraud, it is Abagnale, sometimes referred to as “the ultimate fraudster.”
It is a title well earned. Between the ages of 15-21, Abagnale amassed $2.5 million by assuming no fewer than eight identities. He conned his way through life as an airline pilot, a lawyer, a U.S. Bureau of Prisons agent, and as a doctor. “Becoming” a lawyer involved forging a Harvard University law degree transcript, “passing” the Louisiana bar exam, and getting a job at the Louisiana State Attorney General's office at the age of nineteen. Abagnale eluded the authorities for years, twice escaping from police custody before the age of 21.
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