Catch Me If You Can

Archival Summary & Scope

*Catch Me If You Can* is the bestselling true story of Frank W. Abagnale, a daring con man, forger, impostor, and escape artist, whose exploits were immortalized in the DreamWorks film of the same name. Before he turned twenty-one, Abagnale successfully impersonated a Pan Am pilot, a hospital supervising resident, a lawyer, and a college professor, while cashing over $2.5 million in forged checks across twenty-six countries and all fifty states. Known as "The Skywayman," he lived a life of luxury on the run, showcasing ingenious escapes—including one from an airplane—until the law finally caught up with him. Now a leading authority on financial crime, Abagnale's hilarious, stranger-than-fiction international escapades make this an irresistible tale of deceit.