of words from a former fraudster

When you first meet security adviser Frank Abagnale, it is hard to believe this urbane, sharp-suited gent had a previous career as a renowned con man, cheque forger and impersonator.

The confusion is heightened, given that actor Leonardo DiCaprio portrayed him with great zest in the Steven Spielberg hit Catch Me If You Can in 2002.

Before giving the keynote speech at a conference on financial crime at Raffles City Convention Centre yesterday, Mr Abagnale told a media briefing that tackling white-collar crime begins at home and boils down to a matter of character.

"This is beginning to be a very unethical world where ethics is not taught at home nor at school"

He argues that young people are raised without the concept of right and wrong, and go into the business world thinking little of cheating and stealing.

He notes that financial scandals like Enron stemmed from people with bad character: "Before we can even dent white-collar crime... ethics and character must be brought back into homes, schools and workplaces."