In this episode of The Reference Desk, Katie is bewitched by Frank Abagnale, Jr.  

One of America's most notorious con-men, Frank Abagnale Jr's unlikely journey into the world of check forgery, criminal impersonation, and other scams, inspired the popular film "Catch Me If You Can."  From his humble beginnings as a teenage runaway cashing bad checks, to his summer spent escorting a group of Pan-Am flight attendant hopefuls through Europe, this episode covers his life of crime from beginning to end. After our deep-dive into Abagnale's problematic rise to notoriety, we give you book recommendations about the world of fraud, scams, and swindles. 

 For more information and a full list of our sources, visit our website.

Recommended books: 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk

Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake by Frank W. Abagnale and Stan Redding

Revival by Stephen King

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

Charlatan by Pope Brock

The Bling Ring by Nancy Jo Sales

Dot Con by James Veitch

To buy books mentioned in this episode: Bookshop.org affiliate shop. 

Links:  Frank Abagnale

 https://www.campsidemedia.com/shows/chameleon

 https://www.earwolf.com/show/scam-goddess/

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