Catch me if you can crook caught

Austrian police have released this picture of a “Catch Me If You Can” marriage swindler who claimed to be an airline pilot to meet single women and con them out of money.

In the film “Catch Me If You Can” a fake pilot played by Leonardo DiCaprio travels the world and also lies to women and offers to marry them before making off before police arrive.

The real life conman aged 60 from Austria approached women over online dating agencies and after wining and dining them at expensive hotels – which he also did not pay for – he persuaded them to invest in supposedly lucrative ventures. But he then made off with the cash.

So far police have had complaints from women who were swindled out of 200,000 euros as well as hotels that had lost 20,000 Euros in unpaid bills to the man.

They have also identified at least two women who were offered marriage and the opportunity to invest – but who had not handed over any money after getting suspicious about the man’s offer.

Anyone with information about the man is asked to call Vienna police at the Zentrum Ost, Gruppe Goldnagl on telephone number +43 1 31310 extension 62 800.