Summary of Crimes
Abagnale started his crimes by using his father's gas credit card to make money by making purchases and convincing the attendants to give him a portion of the money back in cash. For this, Frank Abagnale Sr. sent his son to a private school for wayward boys, but Abagnale Jr. ran away at 16 with $200 and no formal education. Using his knowledge of stationary, Abagnale altered his driver's license to make him 10 years older and began writing bad cheques to support himself. Once he had passed hundreds of bad cheques and was overdrawn by thousands of dollars, Abagnale knew he must go into hiding to protect himself.
IMPERSONATIONS:
Pilot:
Abagnale schemed his way into getting a pilot's uniform by calling Pan Pacific Airlines' headquarters and told them he had lost his uniform while travelling and charged the expense to a fake employee ID. He then forged a pilot's ID and FAA license and learned all he could about flying by pretending he was doing a research paper and through a stewardess he dates.
Doctor:
Abagnale pretended he was taking a sabbatical in Atlanta and used medical libraries at the hospital to learn how to be a pediatrician. He was given authorization to practice medicine in the state of Georgia. However, when his fraud nearly killed a child, he fled the state.
Over the next two years, he continued to pass as a legal assistant, sociology teacher, and film director. He had defrauded banks for millions across the country until a former girlfriend recognized him on a wanted poster and turned him in to police.
IMPERSONATIONS:
Pilot:
Abagnale schemed his way into getting a pilot's uniform by calling Pan Pacific Airlines' headquarters and told them he had lost his uniform while travelling and charged the expense to a fake employee ID. He then forged a pilot's ID and FAA license and learned all he could about flying by pretending he was doing a research paper and through a stewardess he dates.
Doctor:
Abagnale pretended he was taking a sabbatical in Atlanta and used medical libraries at the hospital to learn how to be a pediatrician. He was given authorization to practice medicine in the state of Georgia. However, when his fraud nearly killed a child, he fled the state.
Over the next two years, he continued to pass as a legal assistant, sociology teacher, and film director. He had defrauded banks for millions across the country until a former girlfriend recognized him on a wanted poster and turned him in to police.