{UAH} CON ARTISTS

This is the 1st in a series of surveys about con artists. Some are the likeable rogues we see in movies and books. We almost hope they succeed. Then there are those that victimize the vulnerable and are totally amoral. We hope they get caught.

The movie follows Abagnale's life of crime from a teenager to a young adult, concluding when he is finally able to use his considerable talents counterfeiting checks to aid the FBI The movie, (starring Leonardo DiCaprio), tells the story of a young man who runs away from home at the age of 16 to start a life as a con artist. He begins with small counterfeit checks to travel and stay in hotels, and soon goes on to long cons like passing himself off as a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer. When he is finally caught and extradited back to the United States to stand trial, he escapes, sticking him with further charges, but he is finally rounded up and spends four years in prison before being released. Most of the major plot points in the film are factual You may have seen the movie but here is some more from an interview with Johnny Carson.

I saw the movie and or the video clip and have grudging respect for this type of con artist.

I saw the movie and or video clip and think this type of con artist should not become a celebrity

While I don't respect him, I admire his ingenuity and ability to adapt under pressure. He needed to survive and did so very well.

Other (please specify)

Not Applicable

Are there any (other) con artists you admire?

Of all his cons, being a doctor terrified him the most because he thought he might put others in danger. On one occasion, there was a close call because he failed to comprehend what the phrase "blue baby" meant. He resolved to resign as a doctor, making some excuse, but luckily a qualified person showed up to take over for him. Does this change your opinion of Frank Abagnale?

There is always the risk of unforeseen consequences when someone assumes a role they are not qualified for but this happens even if there is no con artist involved (politicians who get promoted into incompetence.)

Passing oneself off as a doctor or pilot or lawyer could cause real damage to real people and is not something to be admired.

In Frank's case he always had more competent people around him and was able to deflect the risk onto them.

Other (please specify)

Not Applicable

Have you ever had to bluff your way out of a similar situation? Details?

Abagnale's fourth phony career was left out of the movie. For one summer semester, Abagnale took on the role of a sociology professor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He was well-liked by his students, who found him affable and intelligent. He pulled it off by reading one chapter ahead of them every week, which some pupils found a little odd. BYU advertised in the paper for a sociology professor, Abagnale forged a transcript from Columbia University, and the prestigious university took him on. Can you really blame Abagnale when institutions make it so easy to con them?

The fact that Abagnale was able to step into the role of a university professor so easily suggests the requirements to do the job are not very onerous.

The fact that Abagnale was able to step into the role of a university professor so easily suggests the bigger issue is these institutions not doing their due diligence before hiring staff such as phoning to verify references.

I find it strange that a university like BYU would advertise for such a position in the newspaper. I would have expected they would have used an agency who would have vetted suitable candidates.

Other (please specify)

Not Applicable

Have you ever padded your resume to get a job you wanted - what happened?