Topics in Preservation Science
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The Art of the Steal (Recognizing forgeries)
March 19, 2009, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Mumford Room, 6th floor, Madison Bldg.
ABOUT THE LECTURE:
Mr. Frank W. Abagnale is one of the world's best known authorities on forgery, embezzlement, and secure documents. His rare blend of knowledge and expertise began more than 40 years ago when he was between the ages of 16 and 21, successfully posing as an airline pilot, an attorney, a college professor, and a pediatrician, in addition to cashing $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in every state and 26 foreign countries. His skill in these activities was depicted in the movie Catch Me If You Can. After being apprehended by the authorities when he was 21, Mr. Abagnale was paroled upon the condition that he would freely teach and assist US federal government law enforcement agencies in fraud prevention. Mr. Abagnale has now been associated with the FBI for over 30 years, and more than 14,000 financial institutions, corporations, and law enforcement agencies use his fraud prevention programs. Mr. Abagnale's presentation will describe how to detect whether documents have been altered and forged using simple techniques.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Mr. Frank W. Abagnale is an author, lecturer, consultant, and founder of Abagnale & Associates, a secure document consultancy company. Over 40 years ago when he was between the ages 16 and 21, he earned the reputation as being one of the world's most famous confidence men after assuming multiple identities and forging checks. After being apprehended when he was 21 and then paroled by the US authorities, he began working with federal law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, corporations, and governments around the world, helping them prevent white-collar crime and fraud. In 1998, CNN Financial News selected him as a distinguished member of Pinnacle 400, which is a select group of 400 people chosen on the basis of great accomplishment and success in their fields. In 2004, Mr. Abagnale was selected as the spokesperson for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). He has written numerous articles and books including The Art of the Steal, The Real U Guide to Identity Theft, and Stealing Your Life. A movie based on his book Catch Me If You Can was made by Steven Spielberg in 2002. Today Mr. Abagnale teaches at the FBI in Quantico, Virginia.