LONDON, May 3 A 16-year-old from London, who spent the past three years making nearly $500,000 passing himself off as a business tycoon, may now face jail time.
The boy, who cannot be named due to his age, is said to have been inspired by the film "Catch Me if You Can," in which Leonardo DiCaprio played Frank William Abagnale, who made millions of dollars pretending to be a pilot, doctor and lawyer, among other scams, Britain ' s Daily Mail reported Thursday. The boy started his scam shortly after his mother died of cancer when he was 13. He reportedly used some of his $32,000 inheritance to get his scam off the ground by purchasing crime books with tales of successful con men.
Over three years, he traveled in limousines, dressed in designer suits and had cases of champagne sent to his home. He also managed to set up fake online businesses, hire his own staff and sell non-existent goods.
By the time he was caught, he admitted to 16 charges of fraud and may face another 105 charges at Balham youth court this week.
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