I wanted something light to read the other night, and I had recently picked up a copy of Catch Me If You Can, signed by Frank W. Abagnale, the author. It seemed like a good choice.

Actually, to be perfectly honest, I don’t know who wrote this book. A second credit on the cover goes to Stan Redding (in a teeny weeny font), so maybe he’s the author. Or, maybe Stan Redding doesn’t even exist, or is just another name for Frank Abagnale, or vice versa. But I know that Frank Abagnale exists because I saw him once, and he was identified as Frank Abagnale. But maybe that was all for show, as well, and he was really someone else. I am perplexed or, I know nothing.

Okay, let’s step back a bit. Twenty plus years ago, I watched the film Catch Me If You Can, with Leonardo de Caprio playing the lead role of…..Frank Abagnale. You probably saw that film, too, and if you remember, Abagnale was a master con man, who made money by taking on fake identities and conning people and cashing fake checks. He was only a mature 16 when he started impersonating a Pan American airline pilot, a Harvard educated attorney, and a pediatrician taking time off to do some research at Emory, to name a few. He was also a ladies man par excellence and, eventually, also an FBI agent. Not an informer, a bona fide employee. His FBI gig got him out of jail.

The film was great fun. Equally fun was the musical version, which we saw at Arena Stage about ten years ago. The story wasn’t exactly the same, but it was close enough, and the cast looked like they were having a good time. And, I think it was between acts, Molly Smith, the artistic director, introduced a beaming Frank Abagnale, to the audience, gushing over his accomplishments.

I have read about half of the book so far, and have not been disappointed. He is such a likeable crook, he doesn’t really harm anyone (only banks and big corporations, it appears, and of course the many girls he leaves behind), and he really has a good (if anxiety ridden) time. And he is so smart, such a quick learner. He learns everything about being a commercial pilot, except how to actually fly a plane. He learns enough to supervise a full pediatric hospital staff, and he avoids ever having to actually perform any medical services. And I know the same will be true when he becomes a partner (if I remember correctly) in the law firm of one of the men who believe he will become their son-in-law. He is a handsome guy, a charming young man, just the type who can get away with anything.

Reading of his exploits, you can’t help but admire his skill. How could he have done that? How did he get away with that? How did he even think of that? That’s impossible! But as you read on, the doubts begin to march in. All of these things – they are impossible.

It turns out that most of what he says in this book is false. Even beyond exaggeration. Just plain false. Or, as it would be termed in modern political parlance, he just lied. With no remorse. Who cares if something is true or not?  Let’s just create our alternative facts.

How do I know most of the book is untrue? Well, even the quickest internet search will lead you to the many contradictions in the story, the many impossibilities. The downright lies. Google it. You will see.

It is true that young Abagnale was a serial con man, was arrested on a regular basis and served tome in several jails. But he never flew free around the world as a deadheading pilot, never ran a pediatric department, never passed a bar exam with a fake Harvard transcript, never worked for the FBI And all the women? Where are they? Mighty quiet.

Abagnale performed his best act of deception in writing (or co-writing) this book and getting top name actors and producers to tell his counterfactual story.

Abagnale is, I am sure, a rich man today. He must have made a fortune off his book, another one from the film, and a third from the musical. But, wait, there is more…..Frank Abagnale runs a very successful consulting firm. I quote from its website: “Frank W. Abagnale is one of the world’s most respected authorities on the subjects of forgery, embezzlement and secure documents. For over forty years, he has lectured to and consulted with hundreds of financial institutions, corporations and government agencies around the world.

“Mr. Abagnale has been associated with the FBI for over four decades. He lectures extensively at the FBI Academy and for the field offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation……” And the description goes on.

If you read the Wikipedia entry on Frank Abagnale, where the breadth of his deception is outlined, you would conclude he is the lowest of lowlife. If you read his company’s website (who knows how much of it is true?), you would think he was an angel working for the good of everyone everywhere, helping governments and corporations root out fraud and deception.

Two different people.

Frank Abagnale may not himself be very important. But isn’t his story indicative of a major problem we have? One made worse today by technology? Think George Santos. Think Donald Trump. It seems so easy.