“Catch Me If You Can” Con Artist to Speak at W&L
Washington and Lee University’s Contact Committee will present Frank Abagnale, the con artist of Catch Me If You Can fame, on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Chapel. The talk is free and open to the public.
Between the ages of 16 and 21, Abagnale successfully posed as an airline pilot, an attorney, a college professor and a pediatrician, in addition to cashing $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in every state and 26 foreign countries. His best-selling book, Catch Me If You Can, was made into a film and a play which opened on Broadway in April of this year.
Apprehended by the French police when he was 21 years old, Abagnale served time in the French, Swedish and U.S. prison systems. After five years he was released on the condition that he would help the federal government, without remuneration, by teaching and assisting federal law enforcement agencies.
Abagnale has been associated with the FBI for over 30 years. More than 14,000 financial institutions, corporations and law enforcement agencies use his fraud prevention programs. In 1998, he was selected as a member of “Pinnacle 400” by CNN Financial News – a select group of 400 people chosen on the basis of great accomplishment and success in their fields.
In 2004, Abagnale was selected as the spokesperson for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the National Cyber Security Alliance. He has also written numerous articles and books including The Art of the Steal, The Real U Guide to Identity Theft and Stealing Your Life.
News Contact:
Julie Cline
News Writer
jcline@wlu.edu
540-458-8954
