Catch Me If You Can (2002): The Frank Abagnale Hoax

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What if I told you that Catch Me If You Can (2002), starring Leonardo DiCaprio, wasn't just Hollywood-embellished—that in fact, it was almost entirely fictional, despite being marketed as "based on a true story"? While we expect Hollywood to add its own flair to "true" stories for cinematic appeal, this film is based on Frank Abagnale's autobiography, which itself is nearly 100% falsified.

The movie is one of my dad's favorites, and I loved it so much that I decided to look into Frank Abagnale's full story. What I discovered was startling: the famous conman hadn't just conned Hollywood with his ludicrous tale—he had conned all of us into believing his story, his book, and the resulting film.

Does this make Frank the greatest conman in history? To this day, he continues to tell his story, speak at universities, and consult firms on cybersecurity despite having little to no experience in the field. He's made millions of dollars from a fabricated narrative. Ethical? Hardly. But impressive? That's harder to judge, as some blame could lie with the media and public—after all, if fact-checking is questionable even today, how thorough was it in the 1970s?

Author Alan C. Logan, in his book, The Greatest Hoax on Earth: Catching Truth, While We Can (2020) outlines the dishonesty in Frank's story, and this article will dissect Logan's findings, as well as speculate on the impact of the story, and the fickle nature of public opinion.

Logan Had Apples and Frank Had Oranges

Our story begins in 1977, when a young Frank Abagnale makes his first broadcasted TV appearance on the show To Tell the Truth, where contestants must decide among several strangers who is telling the truth about their past (MG Productions, 1977). The same outrageous story is told by all of the participants, including Frank, about the antics of a young man who successfully conned his way through several careers including impersonating an airline pilot, a college professor, and a lawyer to name a few. This story sparked the immediate interest of the media after the episode aired, making Frank an almost instant celebrity. Several years later, in 1980, Frank would release his own telling of the alleged events in a memoir entitled, Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake.

Then, forty years after Frank's autobiography is released, an unsuspecting journalist, who primarily writes about health topics, published a counterattack on the claims in Abagnale's tell-all—and it was brutal. Point-by-point, Logan completely disrobes Abagnale's tale of conning the U.S. government and a prominent airline out of millions of dollars with nothing other than his quick wit and charm.

However, twenty years before Logan's debunking, Abagnale’s book was turned into a feature film in 2002 starring Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio of the same title, Catch Me If You Can. Released on Christmas Day, it captured the hearts of millions, raked in over $350 million at the box office, and for journalists like Logan, it also inspired curiosity. It was almost too good to be true. Of course, Hollywood embellished parts of the story, but there are very few differences between the autobiography and the film according to Lang (2022). Even though Abagnale was not an assistant on the film, his book was followed almost exactly as it was written (Pagnotti, 2024). After conducting many interviews, uncovering precious documents, and forming a clear timeline of events, Logan sought to discredit the film (and the autobiography) that appealed to such a large audience.

The Timeline

Abagnale claims that during the late 1960s to the early 1970s he was impersonating a pilot, a doctor, a college professor, and eventually worked for the FBI as a consultant after he was paroled from prison (Abagnale, 1980). The film (based on Abagnale's book) even ends by claiming that Frank and FBI agent Carl Hanratty still remain close friends. Journalists in the 1970's attempted to refute Abagnale’s claims, but to little avail. After his appearance on To Tell the Truth, Abagnale's story was swept up quickly in a feral media frenzy because his incredible lie promised one thing: Increased viewership.

Abagnale’s first impersonation claim was that he paraded around as an airline co-pilot for PanAmerican Airlines when he was between the ages of sixteen and eighteen years old, and he claims that he stole over $2 million worth of fabricated employment checks from the airline (Abagnale, 1980). Already, the timeline is muddy at best as Logan shows a photo in his book of Abagnale at age twenty wearing a pilot uniform from TWA Airline, not PanAmerican (Logan, 2020). After interviewing staff from the period that Abagnale would have been present at TWA, Logan found that staff was made aware of Abagnale after only one week of his loitering around the airport in a fake pilot costume (Logan, 2020).

Already, Frank's story was suspicious. Logan then identified documents that actually placed Abagnale in a juvenile detention center in 1966 (when he was 18). Apparently, TWA was not directly concerned with young Abagnale as he wandered about the airport in uniform, and a flight attendant that met Abagnale confirmed he did take one ride in the jump seat on a short flight, but did not go into the cockpit (Logan, 2020). Logan found no further evidence in flight records or interviews to support Abagnale's claim that he had ever flown as a co-pilot (Logan, 2020). Also, during his week of playing pretend, Logan found no documented proof from employment or payroll records that Abagnale stole millions in fraudulent checks from TWA (Logan, 2020).

I am flabbergasted.

Logan’s timeline goes on to explain that Abagnale abandoned his childish impersonation at TWA to stalk a flight attendant to her home in New Orleans (Logan, 2020). Logan found the family and conducted multiple interviews with the flight attendant and her parents about the time they spent with Abagnale. The flight attendant claims that Abagnale was romantically interested in her, and even though she rebuffed his advances, she allowed him to visit her in Louisianna to stay with her family for the weekend in 1969. According to the interview, the flight attendant explained that she had to return to work, leaving her family's home in New Orleans. While she expected Abagnale to depart as well, he instead convinced her parents to let him stay in their guest room. Without her knowledge, he remained there for almost a month. During this time in New Orleans, Abagnale stole not only personal checks directly from the family's home but also business checks from a local family-owned fire emergency supply store (Logan, 2020).

But Frank has a different recollection of events: He claims that while he was in New Orleans he impersonated a lawyer that was assistant to the District Attorney (Abagnale, 1980). Logan found no evidence that anyone by the name Abagnale or his aliases worked for any law office in Louisianna, and interviews with staff confirmed this as well. Once the flight attendant's had family discovered the theft, Abagnale was arrested in New Orleans and put in the county jail to await sentencing. Abagnale’s parents and a close friend wrote letters to the District Attorney to reduce his sentence, claiming that he was a troubled youth that had a history of theft and that he could possibly have a mental illness (Logan, 2020). The letters were effective because the judge decided to put Abagnale on probation without jailtime. After Abagnale’s release, he then flees to Europe where he is arrested again, brought back to the US, and imprisoned until 1973 (Logan, 2020). Just four years later in 1977, the episode of To Tell the Truth airs and the rest as they say, is history.

That's Not What Happened...

According to Abagnale though, after his airline scam and before becoming an assistant district attorney, he successfully impersonated a pediatric resident at Cobb Hospital in Georgia when he was nineteen. However, Logan's investigation revealed a different story. When Logan interviewed the former director of Cobb Hospital, she stated that the facility never had resident doctors back then and employed only about 80 people at the time. She emphasized that in such a small hospital, she would have certainly remembered someone like Abagnale if he had worked there (Logan, 2020).

Now let's tackle Abagnale's claims that he worked as a lawyer with the DA in New Orleans shortly after his time as a doctor and that he passed the bar exam on his third attempt (Abagnale, 1980). Logan’s timeline debunks this claim with simple math. In the state of Louisiana, a candidate must wait six months before another attempt at the bar exam, which would mean that it would have taken a minimum of a year and a half for Abagnale to pass the bar (if he took it three times). Also, Logan (2020) found no record of Abagnale or any of his aliases signing up for or taking the Louisiana state bar exam. It is suggested by Logan that Abagnale fabricated this story during the time he had to speak to the DA’s office after being arrested for theft in New Orleans. Turns out, when Abagnale claimed he was working for the DA, he was in fact being reprimanded for a crime.

Abagnale's final tale of impersonation claimed he worked as a sociology professor at Brigham Young University in Idaho (Abagnale, 1980). But when Logan investigated this claim, he discovered the university had a rigorous hiring process: all employees needed a referral from someone established in religious academia or ministry, and new faculty appointments were routinely published in the local newspaper (Logan, 2020). Logan found no announcements containing Abagnale's name/photo or any of his known aliases in the newspaper, either during his alleged employment or in the years before and after (Logan, 2020). Furthermore, while Abagnale claims that he was a professor at age twenty, Logan's research places him in New Orleans at this age.

Even though Logan's investigation brazenly discredits Abagnale at every turn, Logan's book also reveals a likely source of inspiration for Abagnale's elaborate tales ...

Coincidentally, while Abagnale was confined in a corrections center as a teenager, a true story about another conman was already making waves. In 1959, The Great Imposter: The Amazing Careers of Ferdinand Waldo Demara was published, followed by a film adaptation in 1960. Demara had famously impersonated various professionals, including a general surgeon, a prison warden, and a philosophy professor (Crichton, 1959). The timing is significant—Abagnale, a troubled teen with plenty of time on his hands, would have had access to both the book and film. Demara's story may have provided not just inspiration, but a detailed blueprint for Abagnale's own fabricated backstory.

After Infamy

Today, Frank Abagnale presents himself as a fraud consultant for major organizations like Google and the federal government, while also giving lectures at colleges about fraud prevention and online security (Glasp, 2023). His website, Abagnale.com, showcases his consulting conferences and includes a letter titled "FBI National Academy attended by 220 law enforcement officers from around the world" (Abagnale and Associates, 2024), which is evidence that he continues to address FBI staff. However, no external sources corroborate these claims. While Abagnale does receive payment for public appearances, he avoids interviews, making it difficult to verify his consulting work. According to Warner (2022), these speaking engagements have proven very lucrative—Abagnale's net worth is estimated at just over $10 million. Though Abagnale continues to tell his story at paid speaking events, he remained silent when Logan's team asked him to address the evidence disputing his claims (Lopez, 2021).

Furthermore, evidence suggests that Abagnale has been dishonest even during his public speaking engagements. According to Ellin (2023), Jim Keith, who attended one of Abagnale's talks in 1981, noted that Abagnale allegedly gave students inaccurate information about check forgery. William Toney, a former border patrol agent turned professor, who collaborated with Keith, uncovered nearly a hundred files that discredited both Abagnale's story and his claims of expertise as a security consultant (Ellin, 2023).

Therefore, the veracity of Abagnale's redemption story remains questionable, as his foundational experiences and education appear to be based on misinformation. Abagnale's narrative parallels another famous Leonardo DiCaprio conman portrayal - Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). Belfort made his fortune selling fraudulent stocks, served prison time, then reinvented himself as a stock consultant teaching others to recognize and avoid scams. Similarly, Abagnale claims he worked as an FBI fraud consultant after his release from prison and still continues to speak to organizations (according to his website). But if Logan's investigation is correct and Abagnale's expertise is built on fabrications, what are the implications? While he may have gained knowledge about security and fraud through years of public speaking, would you trust someone with no genuine experience in a critical role?

Just as you wouldn't hire an inexperienced babysitter to care for children, corporations and government systems take great care with their digital security measures. The question becomes: Does Abagnale truly possess the expertise needed to advise these organizations, or is he simply the embodiment of "fake it till you make it"?

More important than these organizations' decisions to hire Abagnale based on questionable credentials is understanding how misinformation shapes our worldview. In an era where vast amounts of information are instantly accessible, false narratives can distort our understanding of how to navigate reality.

Journalistic Approach to Misinformation

By practicing critical thinking (mind of a journalist), you can become more adept at recognizing misinformation, or at the very least, start to question and consider that some things on the internet or in the news ...well they just aren't true.

Journalists in the 1970s attempted to bring forward evidence of falsified information surrounding Abagnale’s story with little impact because the media was not interested in a story that didn’t promise profits. Money flooded in when Abagnale told his version of events, and money runs the game. No news station or talk show would be interested in the story if it was false.

This fact is what upset Logan the most.

He believed that transparency in journalism should take precedence over an attempt to make a profit, otherwise, what's the point? Regardless of his opinion about Abagnale, Logan’s book had a clear message—that any and all news contributors should vet sources and information thoroughly, otherwise fabrication in the news could become the rule rather than the exception.

Not only did Logan conduct interviews with staff from any and all organizations that Abagnale claimed he had connection to, but he also scanned through hundreds of documents to check and re-check flight logs, employee records, newspaper articles, and personal letters to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Abagnale’s story was false, and that mainstream media had consciously ignored it for decades in order to make a quick buck. And Logan’s overarching theme within his book, aside from the facts about Abagnale, is the plight of journalistic integrity.

Logan asks readers, especially in our modern age, to regularly question news stories and demand thorough journalistic investigation. Yet the stark difference in book prices—Logan's at $2.99 on Amazon Kindle versus Abagnale's at $12.99—suggests audiences haven't embraced this message of critical thinking. Sadly, people seem less interested in evidence-based journalism than in compelling but unverified stories.

Truthfully, I get it. A globe-trotting mastermind who stole millions makes for a far better story than a petty thief cycling through sentences. Honestly, if Abagnale had marketed his tale as fiction from the start, it likely wouldn't have caught Hollywood's attention. The story's supposed truth was what made it exceptional—and marketable.

Public Perception of Truth

In the digital age of social media and online news, viewers increasingly accept information at face value. Headlines are skimmed rather than read in full, with an implicit trust that content has been thoroughly vetted for accuracy. This erosion of critical thinking and individual research has affected how society engages with crucial topics like politics, economics, and social standards. To gauge public reaction to the truth about Abagnale's story, I created a four-part video series online. The response was mixed, but most viewers rushed to defend Abagnale. Comments flooded in: "Loved this film", "The feds were only interested in his forgery skills, he was otherwise unimpressive", "Maybe the real scam was the friends he made along the way", and "Sounds like he actually is a great conman." This quick forgiveness reveals an ironic truth: by strict definition, Abagnale has indeed proven himself a masterful con artist—not through his alleged crimes, but by convincing the masses to believe his story of success and redemption.

Why do we so readily forgive—and even admire—those who build their success on lies?

Why is it virtually unanimous that Abagnale is perceived as a success story? Even the American Dream—criminal becomes FBI consult—is the perceived theme of his narrative. The town is quick to judge a liar, but the digital space has created a vacuum for information that latches onto nostalgia and first impressions. Logan’s book did not have a heavy marketing tour, aiming to ramp up readers for the exposure story of a lifetime. This could be due to the facts that the book released in 2020, during the COVID pandemic, and therefore a book tour was physically impossible for Logan. The few interviews he did, one from YouTube’s Most Notorious! was posted in 2021, where Logan explains his reasons and methods of investigating Abagnale’s claims.

When Logan's book came out, world events likely drowned out any attention it might have received. Plus, people tend to root for the underdog—and Abagnale's story of turning his life around after a troubled childhood and legal troubles is exactly the kind of redemption tale that resonates with the public (Holliday, 2019). Rather than tear down this captivating story, most people prefer to celebrate Abagnale's success. He's maintained his version of events for over forty years, even discussing his FBI work in a 2011 video interview (Ianguide, 2011). Furthermore, despite Logan's attempts to question his expertise, Abagnale's consulting firm has been going strong since 1976.

However, timing wasn't the only challenge facing Logan's book—his own level of public recognition played a role too. While Logan has written other investigative works like Self-Styled: Chasing Dr. Robert Vernon Spears (2019) and health-focused books such as The Secret Life of Your Microbiome (2017), he lacked the name recognition needed to make The Greatest Hoax on Earth (2020) gain widespread attention.

And even if Logan had been a well-known celebrity journalist, the fact still remains that when the public holds a strong belief for decades, it's nearly impossible to change their minds. People are likely to dismiss accusations about Abagnale's story forty years after his book and twenty-five years after the film—the issue being ancient history to most.

Successfully challenging an established narrative requires perfect timing, the right messaging, and a receptive audience. While Logan's work shows impressive investigative skills and an admirable commitment to uncovering the truth in today's skeptical media environment, Logan's efforts ultimately couldn't overcome deeply entrenched public beliefs.

Final Thoughts

When subjected to thorough journalistic investigation, Frank Abagnale's captivating tale, made famous through his memoir and the Hollywood film, reveals itself as a work of imaginative fiction. Alan C. Logan's detailed research uncovers countless inconsistencies and falsehoods in Abagnale's narrative, challenging what many have believed about this supposed master conman. While Abagnale has built a successful career as a fraud consultant based on his claimed experiences (ironic), this revelation raises serious questions about his actual expertise and the ethics of profiting from invented credentials.

This story serves as a powerful reminder that we should approach media narratives with healthy skepticism and recognize the vital importance of fact-checking in our digital age, where misinformation can spread rapidly and take root in public consciousness. Logan's work demonstrates the essential role of investigative journalism in uncovering truth, even when it contradicts popular beliefs. For those interested in diving deeper into this fascinating investigation, Logan's book, The Greatest Hoax on Earth: Catching Truth, While We Can (2020), is available on Amazon Kindle and offers an enlightening read that challenges everything you thought you knew about one of American history's most famous con artists.

References

Abagnale and Associates. (2024, January 30). Introduction of Mr. Abagnale at the FBI National Academy attended by 220 law enforcement officers from around the world on January 31, 2024. Abagnale.com. Retrieved May 29, 2024, from https://abagnale.com/Abagnale-And-Associates-Clients-And-References.html

Abagnale, F. W., & Redding, S. (1980). Catch me if you can: The True Story of a Real Fake. Crown.

Crichton, R. (1959). The Great Impostor: The Amazing Career of Ferdinand Waldo Demara. Sarah Crichton Books.

Ellin, A. (2023, March 13). “Catch Me If You Can” conman Frank Abagnale Jr. lied about his lifetime of lies, sources claim. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2023/03/13/catch-me-if-you-can-conman-frank-abagnale-lied-about-his-lies/

Holliday, A. (2019, February 8). From con artist to security consultant: Frank Abagnale’s true story about being fake. KSDK News. https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/con-artist-to-security-consultant-frank-abagnales-true-story-about-being-fake/63-3b4a80f9-d7f9-40fd-9f17-7bff84bbd618

Glasp. (2023, September 21). Frank Abagnale: Catch Me If You Can at Talks at Google | Summary and Q&A. Glasp. https://blog.glasp.co/frank-abagnale-catch-me-if-you-can/

Ianguide. (2011, August 7). BBC HardTalk Interview with Frank Abagnale [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4JDlcpoA4M

Lang, K. (2022, December 27). Real Frank Abagnale Jr. - Catch me if you can true story. HistoryvsHollywood.com. https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/catchmeifyoucan.php

Logan, A. C. (2020). The Greatest Hoax on Earth: Catching Truth While We Can. Glass Spider Publishing.

Lopez, X. (2021, April 23). Could this famous con man be lying about his story? A new book suggests he is. WHYY. https://whyy.org/segments/the-greatest-hoax-on-earth/ 

MG Productions. (2012, May 11). To Tell the Truth (Joe Garagiola) (Imposter Frank Abagnale) (1977) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w9NsxWFYFU

Most Notorious! (2021, May 20). Catch Me If You Can’s Frank Abagnale - Perpetrator of the Ultimate Hoax? w/ Alan C. Logan [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwVJhv7NyQ8

Pagnotti, S. (2024, March 14). 'Catch Me If You Can's “True” Story of Frank Abagnale Jr. Collider. https://collider.com/catch-me-if-you-can-true-story-explained/#:~:text=To%20be%20clear%2C%20while%20Frank%20Abagnale%20Jr.%20had,only%20watched%20the%20movie%20twice%20as%20of%202017

Warner, B. (2022, August 22). Frank Abagnale Net Worth | Celebrity Net worth. Celebrity Net Worth. https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessmen/richest-criminals/frank-abagnale-net-worth/