Posted on 05/04/2011 7:59:43 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
A US court has heard how it cost a great-grandson of an oil industry tycoon at least $ 6 million after he took his computer in to the workshop to repair it after it was infected with a virus.
The victim was probably jazz pianist and composer Roger Davidson, an heir of oil tycoon Conrad Schlumberger, although the authorities have refused to name him.
The victim took his computer to 36-year-old Vickram Bedi and his girlfriend Helga Invarsdottir after it developed a virus.
According to prosecutors, the pair cooked up a scheme which convinced Davidson that his life was in danger.
They told him that while investigating the virus, they had found that the virus had been tracked to a hard drive in Honduras. OK, this is a pretty good service. Most computer repair places would have wiped the hard-drive and reinstalled the operating system. Tracking down the source of the virus is not something they tend to do.
But the victim apparently didn't know that. According to the New York Daily News, which we get for the free bagel, media friendly Bedi claimed his uncle was an Indian military officer who was sent on a reconnaissance mission to Honduras and seized the hard drive of the computer virus culprits.
"Bedi further related that his uncle obtained information that Polish priests affiliated with Opus Dei were attempting to possibly harm the victim," prosecutors said.
Apparently the CIA had contracted the computer repair shop worker to prevent the priests from infiltrating the U.S. government.
The victim paid the pair up to $160,000 a month for physical protection, because you often pay for protection from your computer repairshop. Inspector Knacker uncovered the scam in July and alerted the victim.
Bedi and Invarsdottir, the daughter of a wealthy businessman from Iceland, were arrested Thursday and arraigned Friday on charges of felony grand larceny.
Media friendly Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos said that stories don't get much more far fetched than this, but they do underline the importance for everyone to be on guard against scams.
Shesh, we are more worried about a plot by right wing Opus Dei Catholic priests to infiltrate the US government, which suspiciously is not being investigated.
According to the New York Daily News, which we get for the free bagel, media friendly Bedi claimed his uncle was an Indian military officer who was sent on a reconnaissance mission to Honduras and seized the hard drive of the computer virus culprits. "Bedi further related that his uncle obtained information that Polish priests affiliated with Opus Dei were attempting to possibly harm the victim," prosecutors said. Apparently the CIA had contracted the computer repair shop worker to prevent the priests from infiltrating the U.S. government....
....The victim paid the pair up to $160,000 a month for physical protection, because you often pay for protection from your computer repairshop. Inspector Knacker uncovered the scam in July and alerted the victim....
It's a six month old news story, but it's hilarious nonethless.
I see his girlfriend is from Iceland.
i can remove virus and such for less.... er.... 10k a month.
...a fool and his money...
Some people are too stupid to have wealth.
Well, if anyone should be suspiciously investigated, it's the US government.
Some people are so dumb you can *almost* think they deserve to lose their money. Even TV shows like Mission Impossible and Burn Notice have more believable scams in their plots, ascribing some level of intelligence to the marks.
Why does it not surprise me to see criminal grifters in a picture with Barky?
It costs about twice the $6 mil to really fix a victim so dumb.
Somebody should sue them for infringing on the copyright of The DaVinci Code. Maybe get a piece of that money.
“It’s not surprising that fools and their money are soon parted. What’s amazing is that they ever got together in the first place.” Heinlein.
Yes, fellow criminal grifters.
| Chapman: Trouble at mill. Cleveland: Oh no - what kind of trouble? Chapman: One on't cross beams gone owt askew on treadle. Cleveland: Pardon? Chapman: One on't cross beams gone owt askew on treadle. Cleveland: I don't understand what you're saying. Chapman: [slightly irritatedly and with exaggeratedly clear accent] One of the cross beams has gone out askew on the treadle. Cleveland: Well what on earth does that mean? Chapman: *I* don't know - Mr Wentworth just told me to come in here and say that there was trouble at the mill, that's all - I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition. [JARRING CHORD] [The door flies open and Cardinal Ximinez of Spain [Palin] enters, flanked by two junior cardinals. Cardinal Biggles [Jones] has goggles pushed over his forehead. Cardinal Fang [Gilliam] is just Cardinal Fang] Ximinez: NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come in again. [The Inquisition exits] Chapman: I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition. [JARRING CHORD] [The cardinals burst in] Ximinez: NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Amongst our weaponry are such diverse elements as: fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope, and nice red uniforms - Oh damn! [Ximinez bundles the cardinals outside again] Chapman: I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition. [JARRING CHORD] [The cardinals enter] Biggles: Er.... Nobody...um.... [DIABOLICAL LAUGHTER] Biggles: We'll soon change your mind about that! [DIABOLICAL ACTING] Ximinez: Fear, surprise, and a most ruthless-- [controls himself with a supreme effort] Ooooh! Now, Cardinal -- the rack! [Biggles produces a plastic-coated dish-drying rack. Ximinez looks at it and clenches his teeth in an effort not to lose control. He hums heavily to cover his anger] Ximinez: You....Right! Tie her down. [Fang and Biggles make a pathetic attempt to tie her on to the drying rack] Ximinez:Right! How do you plead? [Biggles stands their awkwardly and shrugs his shoulders] Biggles: I.... [Biggles turns an imaginary handle on the side of the dish-rack] [Cut to them torturing a dear old lady, Marjorie Wilde] Ximinez: Now, old woman -- you are accused of heresy on three counts -- heresy by thought, heresy by word, heresy by deed, and heresy by action -- *four* counts. Do you confess? [JARRING CHORD] [Biggles holds out two ordinary modern household cushions] Biggles: Here they are, lord. [Biggles carries out this rather pathetic torture] Ximinez: Confess! Confess! Confess! [JARRING CHORD] [Zoom into Fang's horrified face] Fang [terrified]: The...Comfy Chair? [Biggles pushes in a comfy chair -- a really plush one] Ximinez: So you think you are strong because you can survive the soft cushions. Well, we shall see. Biggles! Put her in the Comfy Chair! [They roughly push her into the Comfy Chair] Ximinez [with a cruel leer]: Now -- you will stay in the Comfy Chair until lunch time, with only a cup of coffee at eleven. [aside, to Biggles] Is that really all it is?
|
They learned their trade from Mr. Community Organizer himself. That must be their graduation picture.
Jazz musician and composer, eh? He may think so, but I’ll bet he has been a useless, talentless parasite living off great-granddad’s trust fund for his entire life.
Snork.
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