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Scientist nabbed for SARS scam: Cops: Suspect bilked pals
By Jennifer Rosinski
Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Boston cops in the midst of interviewing victims of a scam involving SARS research in China lucked into an arrest yesterday when one witness pointed out the alleged culprit bickering with another mark in the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute cafeteria, police said.

     The former Dana-Farber researcher and Harvard University professor allegedly bilked 35 students, co-workers, friends and Internet pals out of $600,000 he claimed would help launch a SARS research institute in China.
     Weldong Xu, 38, began the scam in July - at the height of the SARS scare - convincing mostly Asian acquaintances to lend him money for the research center, police said.
     One friend took a second mortgage out on his home to give Xu the money. Xu was busted arguing with another man who had given him $5,000, police said.
     Xu admitted to detectives he took the money and handed over a notebook that contained information about the donors.
     Xu claims he used the money to invest in a questionable Nigerian business offer he received via e-mail that promised a $50 million profit.
     ``The scammer's been scammed,'' Blair said.
     ``He wouldn't acknowledge he'd been scammed. I tried to tell him he'd been scammed, but he never caught on.''