A 24-year-old man from India, Sukhdev Vaid, has pleaded guilty to hacking into an elderly Montana woman’s computer and stealing $150,000. Vaid now faces a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release after admitting to wire fraud.
Furthermore, the victim, identified only as Jane Doe, was deceived by a pop-up message claiming her computer had been hacked and instructing her to call a customer support number. She withdrew $150,000 as instructed and gave it to Vaid and an accomplice.
In March, authorities set up a ruse where Jane Doe informed the hackers that she still had $50,000 in cash. Law enforcement subsequently arrested Vaid and his co-defendant, Eddly Joseph of Gainesville, Florida, when they arrived in Montana to steal the remaining money. The investigation revealed that the fraudsters remotely accessed Jane Doe’s computer using UltraViewer, which they had installed on her system.
Joseph had previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud in August and is awaiting sentencing, while Vaid now awaits his legal consequences for his involvement in the scheme.
