[Eug]

Virus Leads to $20 Million Scam

The saga began in August 2004 when Roger Davidson, 58 years old, a pianist and jazz composer who once won a Latin Grammy, took his computer to Datalink Computer Services in Mount Kisco, saying the machine had been infested with a virus. The owners of the company, Vickram Bedi, 36, and his girlfriend, Helga Invarsdottir, 39, became aware of Mr. Davidson's high profile and allegedly proceeded to convince him that he was the target of an assassination plot ordered by Polish priests affiliated with Opus Dei, a conservative Roman Catholic organization, authorities said.

When asked to remove the virus from the laptop, Mr. Bedi allegedly told Mr. Davidson that his computer had in fact been attacked with a virus so virulent that it also damaged Datalink's computers, according to prosecutors.

Mr. Bedi told Mr. Davidson that he had tracked the source of the virus to a remote village in Honduras and that Mr. Bedi's uncle, purportedly an officer in the Indian military, had traveled there in a military aircraft and retrieved the suspicious hard drive, prosecutors said.

In addition, Mr. Bedi told the victim that his uncle had uncovered an assassination plot against Mr. Davidson by Polish priests tied to Opus Dei, according to prosecutors.

So, is he insane, or just a frickin' moron? And the scammer should have quit while he was ahead.

[osiris]

I think all the parties involved are a bit insane - the story reads like a Peter Sellers film.

[Shaddim]

Originally Posted by osiris 

I think all the parties involved are a bit insane - the story reads like a Peter Sellers film.

There were good Peter Sellers films? Ok, Dr Stranglelove and maybe The Pink Panther... and, umm, that's about it.

That's some funky stuff about the virus scam. It still shocks me to see how gullible some people are, though I guess it shouldn't.

[olePigeon]

I see potential for the next Get a Mac commercials.