Catch Me If You Can Kid '13 Year Old Makes 250k'

[billy]

This is a long story so only read if you like reading!

THE 'CATCH ME IF YOU CAN' KID
EXCLUSIVE Inspired by teenage film con artist who stole millions He hired limos and staff as net scams raked in fortune
By Emily Nash Emily.Nash@Mirror.Co.Uk 03/05/2007

A GANGLY lad of 13 embarked on a £250,000 swindling spree after he was inspired by hit crime movie Catch Me If You Can.

The boy was so enthralled by the film - in which Leonardo DiCaprio plays a teenage con artist who makes millions posing as an airline pilot, doctor and lawyer - he decided to use it as a blueprint for his own criminal adventure.

And as the cash began pouring in from a series of audacious internet-based cons, the boy began living the life of a real-life tycoon. He bought expensive designer suits and shoes just like Frank William Abagnale, the charismatic hero of the movie he loved.

The well-spoken teenager also hired dozens of staff and ordered cases of champagne sent to his home.
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He used his bogus firms to run up huge bills at major companies such as Harrods and took "business trips" to Paris and Edinburgh.

And he delighted in swanning around in chauffeur-driven limos - haughtily claiming that public transport was "for commoners."

The boy even took a secretary on a trip to inspect a selection of private jets - relishing the way the sales staff showered attention on him despite his obvious youth. As they left he told her: "I loved them sucking up to me."

The teenager, who was warned when he appeared in court on Tuesday that he faced jail, embarked on his three-year spree shortly after his mum died of cancer.

He invested some of his £16,000 inheritance on crime books and studied the methods of successful conmen. Then he set up his first scam ripping off online shoppers by creating a website offering non-existent plasma TVs at knockdown prices.

The lad, who never lived with his father and moved in with a relative in West London after his mum died, was soon awash with money. So many cheques and postal orders flooded in he opened a series of bank accounts to cope with them.

The lad, who is now 16, stopped going to school to devote his attention to his swindle full-time.

He decided to move it out of a spare bedroom he had commandeered and began renting offices in London.

To run them, he took on a man in his 50s and a woman in her 20s after placing ads in a local JobCentre.

After a few weeks he did a runner from the offices, owing £8,000 in rent. When his employees wages failed to appear they walked out.

But the teenager coolly replaced them after re-advertising their positions and moved into a second office.

When he again disappeared, owing £2,000 rent, police were called in.

They traced him to a third premises in Richmond. But as police turned up to nab him he spotted their car and fled. As officers closed in, the boy thought up more elaborate ruses to keep the scams going.

He pretended to be a woman to create some bogus accounts and even managed to con the same car hire firm four times by using different company names.

When detectives finally nabbed him they were stunned to find he was so young.

But despite being arrested and bailed, he continued his exploits - setting up another bogus firm to sell cheap office supplies online.

He hired a PA, promising her a salary of £32,000. He told her she could work from home and had her contract delivered by chauffeur.

The lad even convinced a highly-experienced businessman to become vice president of the new firm.

When some of the teenager's victims confronted him he simply laughed at them.

A source said: "He tried to keep the lie going as long as he could. He told his victims 'You can't touch me, I'm a minor'."

"One man turned up at his house and demanded his money. The boy didn't bat an eyelid but instead threatened to tell the police he had been fiddled with."

On Tuesday the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted 16 charges of fraud totalling £50,000.

Another 105 charges - worth about £135,000 - were taken into consideration at Balham youth court in South London. Police believe the total cost of his scams is £250,000.

Since December 2006 he is alleged to have advertised discount vacuum cleaners in national newspapers, set up two stationery firms, a modelling website and a dating agency.

The court was told his latest project is an online lingerie store. His solicitor insisted it was a legitimate business. He will be sentenced later.

CRIME LINE

July-October 2004: Sets up firm offering discount plasma TVs. Opens account with Radio Cars - running up an unpaid bill of £3,085.

October 2004: Is arrested and bailed but continues trading.

March 2005: Sets up private chauffeur account posing as a woman called Gemma. Spends £4,000 travelling around the UK.

June 2005: Runs up £7,293 bill at chauffeur company Beverley Hills Cars. Hires PAs and delivery drivers through newspaper ads and the JobCentre. Uses PAs to open accounts with drinks firms.

July 2005: Holds interviews for new staff at a recruitment agency - leaving a bill for £3,161.

January 2006: Opens new account with Radio Cars using different company name.

April 2006: Radio Cars account is closed after he fails to pay a £5,543 bill. He opens another using his real name.

June 2006: Third Radio Cars account is cancelled over £5,000 bill. Days later, poses as a woman called Ellen to open fourth account. Edited September 8, 2007 by billy

[The King]

God damn.... thats fuckin nuts...

[olooko]

Now I would call that a copy cat crime.

[Akkbar]

i would execute this kid

[Jubs]

Wow, can't wait to see what he is pulling off in another 10 years . Not going to be able to hide behind the "I'm a minor" thing forever.

[ZenSilk]

Wow, can't wait to see what he is pulling off in another 10 years . Not going to be able to hide behind the "I'm a minor" thing forever.

That fact ain't gonna stop the Aryans or Bubba....Hope he likes butthole stitches.

[Furio]

This might be a great con story, but he is no Frank Abagnale. The thing is, this kid will probably end up earning millions just like Frank by advising companies on how to safe guard themselves against scams.

[MERCHANT]

that kid is a genius think about 13 and he is stealing everybody's money that takes skill. Yes he diserves to go to jail but he probably willd o what a year maybe 2 move somewere else because id imagine he has bank accounts that cannot be touched like the cuba and places that those and he will just withdrawl and startever somewere else.

the internet is everywere

[manntis]

that kid is a genius think about 13 and he is stealing everybody's money that takes skill.

It doesn't take skill to run up a bill, then bolt. It takes lack of forethought.

[Geiseric]

I don't know why I am encouraging re-animating dead threads, but I'll bite anyways. I'll leave it to a mod to get mad.

I can tell you right now without even looking any deeper into this story that this child shows sociopathic tenancies. His lack of remorse when being confronted is a big flashing sign that shouts "I have not been correctly socialized" Hard for me to say without really looking into it, but I would suspect neglect during his childhood. It is very rare (if at all, I have yet to read of a convincing case of it) for a child to be genetically pre-disposed toward picking up the general moral code of his culture.

A little side note: That article looks as though it was written by a three year old. If you are writing with the intent to publish, by all means, please do it well. Edited November 16, 2007 by Geiseric

[RayVer]

wow thats nuts. at the age of 13? hah I thought I was cool when I was making regular websites at that age but becoming a scam artist?!? would have never thought anyone at my age was capable of that during those years

[BrotherBuford]

wow thats nuts. at the age of 13? hah I thought I was cool when I was making regular websites at that age but becoming a scam artist?!?

Wow, I feel old now. There was no world wide web yet when I was 13...