Frank Abagnale Jr.
Frank Abagnale Jr. was so skilled at forging that he not only got to work as an FBI consultant but he had a movie made about his exploits and he was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. He got his start in forging at the age of 15 when he started writing checks on his own overdrawn account. When the bank came after him for payment he created new accounts at other banks and created new identities to go with the new accounts. He even started printing his own payroll checks to deposit and would then ask banks to advance him cash based on his account balance.
When Abagnale decided that he wanted to fly he found a way to pass as an airline pilot by forging an employee ID and a pilot’s license. He started flying with Pan Am by deadheading about a million miles from the ages of 16 to 18. He was able to stay in hotels and eat at nice restaurants while billing everything to the company. He moved on to acting as a doctor when he feared his scheme with Pan Am was going to get him caught. He worked as a supervisor at a hospital until he realized that his lack of knowledge was putting people at risk. He moved on to working as an attorney by forging a Harvard degree and passing the Louisiana bar exam.
By the time he was caught in 1969 he was wanted for fraud in 12 countries. He served six months in horrible prison conditions in France, then moved on to Sweden where he served six months again. He was then deported to the U.S. where he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. After less than five years in prison, he was released on the condition that he help the federal authorities investigate fraud and scam artists. He eventually founded Abagnale & Associates which advises companies on fraud issues and the successful company has made him a legal millionaire.