Technology breeds crime and we are constantly trying to develop

Hear the words of Frank Abagnale, once a master of deception and later a teacher of truth, who declared: “Technology breeds crime and we are constantly trying to develop technology to stay one step ahead of the person trying to use it negatively.” These words strike with the force of experience, for they come not from a distant philosopher, but from one who lived in the shadows of fraud and later rose into the light. In his saying is revealed the paradox of invention: every new tool, while it may lift mankind upward, also offers the cunning a new weapon. Technology is both shield and spear, and humanity must labor without ceasing to wield it wisely.

The origin of these words lies in Abagnale’s own life. As a young man, he exploited the weaknesses of the banking and aviation systems, forging checks and impersonating pilots, doctors, and lawyers. He understood that each innovation—from the printing press to the magnetic strip—could be bent to dishonest use if vigilance faltered. Later, when he turned his skills to serving justice, he saw from the other side the same truth: that every defense invites a new offense, and every safeguard calls forth a new scheme. Thus he spoke with clarity that crime evolves alongside technology, like a shadow cast by light.

The ancients too knew this law, though their tools were simpler. When the Greeks perfected the art of coinage, counterfeiters arose to mimic the king’s seal. When Rome built roads to unite its empire, bandits sprang forth to prey upon travelers. Each advance in civilization gave birth to new forms of exploitation, demanding that society invent fresh means of protection. Abagnale’s wisdom is but a modern echo of this eternal struggle: progress and peril walk side by side.

History offers us grim examples. In the twentieth century, as telephones spread across nations, so too did conmen who preyed upon the trusting with false calls. With the rise of the Internet came new forms of theft—identity stolen, wealth siphoned, secrets exposed. Each innovation, celebrated for its promise, opened also a door for corruption. But always, the answer lay not in despair, but in vigilance: new firewalls to guard the web, new safeguards in banking, new systems of verification. Technology breeds crime, yes—but it also breeds the means to resist it.

The meaning of Abagnale’s saying is not that progress should be feared, but that it must be accompanied by eternal watchfulness. One cannot build a house and leave its door unguarded, nor can one create new tools without considering how they might be twisted. The wise see both the promise and the peril, and they prepare themselves accordingly. To ignore the darker side of invention is to invite ruin; to confront it is to ensure survival.

The lesson for future generations is plain: do not trust blindly in technology to protect you. Learn its strengths, but also its vulnerabilities. Know that for every lock, there will arise one who seeks the key. Know that for every wall, there will be one who dreams of a ladder. Therefore, commit yourselves not only to invention, but also to wisdom, ethics, and vigilance. For the race between builder and thief will never end, but the victor will be the one who refuses complacency.

Therefore, let your actions be thus: embrace the gifts of progress, but with eyes wide open. Teach your children to honor truth over deception, to use their knowledge for creation and not corruption. Support those who labor to secure the systems that hold our lives together. And above all, remember Abagnale’s wisdom: technology breeds crime, but it also grants us the power to rise above it—if only we remain steadfast, inventive, and ever one step ahead.