Filing from Zadar, Croatia, the Associated Press' Snjezana Vukic interviewed "Vice Miskovic -- Information Warrior" after the fifteen year-old's computer had been taken from him.
In "Croat Teen -- I Hacked the Army," Miskovic told the credulous Vukic: "I used some of the hacking programs available on the Internet, adjusted them, and, with a bit of luck, managed to break into the computer system of the Anderson Air Force Base in Guam."
However, the AP reporter did not reveal if "Vice Miskovic -- Information Warrior" produced any substantial proof of his claim other than the loss of his computer and the kudos of mystified countrymen. The Pentagon was said to have confirmed it.
"It was a challenge," said "Vice Miskovic -- Information Warrior" to Vukic. "I was curious to see whether I could do it or not."
"Vice Miskovic -- Information Warrior" did not tell Vukic whether or not he had been successful in his pleas for cash on the Usenet during January when he was repeatedly posting the Make Money Fast chain mail swindles. Indeed, the mainstream media's coverage of "Vice Miskovic -- Croat Hacker" is remarkable for completely missing his clumsy attempts at trivial fraud, the repeated posting of his address in Zadar to the Internet, and cancellations of Miskovic's Usenet spams for Net abuse. And if you think Crypt Newsletter is making this up, simply surf to DejaNews and query its "Old" database for "Vice Miskovic."
Vukic wrote denizens of Miskovic's "small medieval Adriatic town [were] puzzled -- and Miskovic's parents were shocked. Soon Miskovic -- whose hacker code was 'Intruder' [Intruder X, actually, according to Miskovic's Usenet posts]-- became known throughout Croatia." However, it was not for trivial Net abuse or Make Money Fast schemes.
The legend deflates.