Stephen Spielberg’s 2002 classic Catch Me if You Can was inspired by the real-life story of scam artist Frank Abagnale Jr., played in the movie by Leonardo DiCaprio.
Frank is now 78 years-old, having worked with the FBI for five decades (his son is also an agent). He’s as generous with his knowledge as he is with his time. I caught up with him in Atlanta after his keynote at a Pindrop Security customer event. I was impressed with Frank’s up-to-date insights and his ability to succinctly articulate the clear and present danger of synthetic personas and deepfakes.
The thesis statement to his talk? “Verification must replace trust.” I worry that this puts true human connection at risk if we must first prove our verifiable existence to an algorithm before engaging in any sort of relationship. So, both during his talk and after, I asked Frank for further explanation. Here’s what he said:
I felt compelled to re-watch Catch Me if You Can after meeting Frank. He points on his website that it exaggerated the facts, but is still “honored that Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks participated in the making of the movie inspired by my life.” Given Frank’s significant experience with both fraud and film, I’m gratified that he told me that he liked the title (and premise) to my documentary, The Only Human in the Room. I intend to consult with Frank Abagnale Jr. further as I continue production: his integrity, sincerity, and expertise were palpable — and very real to me.