Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-2

Reading Check

1. What does Frank do when another pilot lets him fly the plane?

2. Where is Frank originally from?

3. What is Frank’s first scam?

4. Where does Frank run away to when he is 16 years old?

5. How does Frank get a Pan Am uniform?

6. Where does Frank get the Pan Am logo to put on his fake ID?

Short Answer

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Frank mean when he says that “A man’s alter ego is nothing more than his favorite image of himself” (Chapter 1)? How does this statement set up his narrative?

2. How did Frank’s father’s teaching him to deliver speeches and give gifts affect Frank later in life?

3. At first, how does Frank rationalize his decision to scam people using bad checks?

4. How does Frank learn more about Pan Am for his scam?

Paired Resource

A Brief History of Pan Am

• A short history of the now-defunct Pan American Airways
• Based on this history, why might Frank have been moved to choose to pose as a Pan Am copilot?

“Teen Seized in Parkway Check Case”

• A clipping from The Daily Times from July 16, 1965 that mentions Frank Abagnale
• How does this clipping compare with Frank’s claim that he doesn’t fit the stereotype of a typical criminal?

Chapters 3-4

Reading Check

1. Why does Frank choose to learn airline protocol by walking around LaGuardia Airport instead of New York’s JFK airport?

2. What is deadheading?

3. Where does Frank settle after being released by the police and FBI in Miami?

4. What profession does Frank list on his lease when he arrives in Atlanta?

Short Answer

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Frank use Pan Am stewardesses to further his cons?

2. Why does Frank believe that he was trusted while wearing his pilot’s uniform?

3. After being arrested in Miami, how does Frank convince the sheriff that he is a pilot?

4. What is Frank’s approach to being the resident supervisor and how does this approach work to his advantage?

Chapters 5-6

Reading Check

1. Who is the FBI agent Frank says is assigned to his case?

2. Where does Frank claim to have gone to law school?

3. What is the condition on which Frank is given the position as a sociology instructor in Utah?

4. What mistake does Frank make when cashing a check in Eureka?

Short Answer

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What motivates Frank to take the bar exam?

2. How does Frank create the impression that he comes from a wealthy family?

3. What subject does Frank build his sociology class around?

4. How does Rosalie respond when Frank tells her that he’s a con man?

Paired Resource

“How did Abagnale Jr. Steal Millions Just By Writing Bank Checks?”

• A webpage about cashier’s checks that provides detailed information about check fraud, including Abagnale’s methods
• What does the reading suggest about Frank as a person? How was he able to pull off check fraud so frequently?

Chapters 7-8

Reading Check

1. What is the name of the Air France stewardess Frank dates?

2. What does Frank send the bail bondsman?

3. At which university does Frank set up a fake recruiting program for Pan Am stewardesses?

4. What quality does Frank look for in stewardess candidates?

Short Answer

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Frank keep the Pan Am check he offers to cash for a stewardess?

2. What does Frank do after seeing people dropping off receipts at the night depository of a bank?

3. Why does Frank decide to assemble a fake flight crew?

4. How does Frank take advantage of Cheryl?

Chapters 9-10

Reading Check

1. Where does Frank settle in France?

2. How long is Frank’s prison sentence in France?

3. What is the name of the woman who escorts Frank to the Swedish prison?

4. How does Frank escape the plane in New York?

Short Answer

Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What has Frank’s mother told his grandparents about what he is doing?

2. What does Frank think about to comfort himself while he is prison? Why might he choose this particular fantasy?

3. What is the difference between the French and Swedish prisons that Frank spends time in?

4. How is the FBI informed that Frank is staying at a motel in Washington, D.C.?

Paired Resource

“Could this famous con man be lying about his story? A new book suggests he is”

• An article from NPR outlining the fantastical qualities of Frank Abagnale’s story
• This article discusses how the story Frank Abagnale tells in Catch Me If You Can might be “the best con that Abagnale actually pulled.” Do the revelations described in this article change your perception of the story? Why or why not?