At the age of 16, Abagnale posed as a pilot for Pan Am Airlines in order
to wangle free flights. He later pretended to be a doctor, before
masquerading as an attorney -- just some of the eight different
identities Abagnale claims to have assumed. Throughout this time he
became a master forger of cheques, defrauding banks of millions of
pounds. He was arrested at the age of 21 in France and spent six months
in prison there, six months in a Swedish jail and was then deported to
the US (not before he'd escaped from the aeroplane intended to transport
him). After serving five years of his 12-year sentence, he was paroled
on the condition that he helped the FBI uncover cheque forgers. He has
since made a career as a security consultant, working closely with the
FBI for almost 40 years, and launching his own company Abagnale & Associates.
