Frank Abagnale

‘Catch Me If You Can’ Ex-Con Man, Security Consultant, Founder of Abagnale & Associates, AARP Fraud Watch Ambassador, The Perfect Scam Co-host

Frank Abagnale’s Biography:

Frank Abagnale is a security consultant, author, and the founder of Abagnale & Associates, best known for translating the mechanics of fraud into practical, board-level guidance. As a keynote speaker, he combines real-world cautionary lessons with clear actions organisations can take immediately, from tightening payment controls to reducing staff exposure to manipulation. His most notable public milestone remains the global reach of his story through ‘Catch Me If You Can’, which helped cement his reputation as a high-impact voice on deception, trust, and prevention.

Frank’s early life in New York was shaped by disruption and poor choices, including a pattern of petty crime that escalated into cheque fraud, impersonation, and repeated arrests while still a teenager and young adult. Those years, alongside time spent in custody, became the formative foundation for the subject matter he later built his professional life around, how documents, processes, and human behaviour can be exploited when oversight is weak. In later talks, he often links this period to the mindset behind scams, explaining how confidence, speed, and perceived authority can overwhelm common sense if people lack simple verification routines.

Following his release, Frank rebuilt his career around prevention and education, shifting from criminality to advising organisations on how to reduce fraud losses and protect customers and staff. He established Abagnale & Associates in 1976, positioning the firm as a specialist resource on secure documents and anti-fraud methods, and he became a sought-after speaker for banks, corporates, and public bodies looking for plain-speaking risk insight. His credibility in the public arena broadened through publishing, including ‘Catch Me If You Can’, and later titles such as ‘The Art of the Steal’, ‘Stealing Your Life’, and ‘Scam Me If You Can’, each reinforcing his focus on identity crime, scams, and practical self-protection.

Why Hire Frank Abagnale?

Frank is hired because he makes fraud feel real, then makes prevention feel doable, with talks that connect leadership decisions to everyday behaviours on the frontline. He covers fraud prevention, identity theft, cybercrime awareness, social engineering, and secure processes, topics that matter because most modern incidents begin with a human moment, a rushed approval, a trusted-sounding call, an email that looks routine. For example, he might walk an audience through a supplier invoice scam, showing how criminals exploit familiar language and timing, then outline a simple callback and two-person verification routine that stops it cold. If you want a speaker who can hold attention while leaving teams with habits they will actually use, Frank delivers a compelling, practical keynote that improves awareness and reduces risk.

Frank Abagnale’s Career Highlights:

Here are some of the key milestones that define Frank Abagnale’s career in security and fraud:

• 2025 – Delivered a keynote seminar in Orlando to 300+ banking and fraud experts across 175 companies
• 2019 – Published ‘Scam Me If You Can’
• 2018 – Became co-host of AARP’s The Perfect Scam podcast
• 2015 – Named AARP Fraud Watch Network Ambassador
• 2002 – His story was adapted into the Spielberg film ‘Catch Me If You Can’
• 1980 – Co-wrote ‘Catch Me If You Can’
• 1976 – Founded Abagnale & Associates