It was the early 1980s, and the Soviet Union had already occupied Afghanistan. The Cold War was at its height. The Soviet Union and the United States were conducting secret missions and operations to undermine each other. According to the CIA, spies working for Moscow had illegally obtained hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Western technology in the late 1970s.

But the leader of the communist bloc did not know that the same process of appropriating American technology would lead to the delivery of sabotaged American high technology. How could this happen, you ask? Let’s find out.

An FBI agent who once observed an Austrian businessman entering the Soviet consulate in San Francisco happened to meet the same man again, this time in a bar. The agent, Rick Smith, and the man, whose name remains secret, planned what remains the largest counterintelligence campaign of the time, according to a report in Politico Magazine.

The Austrian was already actively exporting American goods to European countries. The FBI was convinced that the Soviet Union was always desperately looking for the latest and most modern American technology. And so they dealt a serious blow to their communist opponents.

Under Operation Intering, the FBI and the Austrians would “leak faulty technology to Moscow and its allies,” draining the Eastern bloc’s coffers. And that wasn’t all. The operation would also expose Moscow’s intelligence officers and people who were conspiring against America.

The whole thing was carried out from the Austrian capital Vienna, which was considered neutral ground for communist and Western government officials. The Austrian tried to get an appointment at the Soviet embassy and got one, where he was supposed to present Moscow with cutting-edge microelectronics and computer technology from Silicon Valley.

Initially, Moscow spies showed interest, “but they basically wanted secret information,” Smith said. However, the communists sent the Austrian to their allies – the Bulgarians and their East German and Russian allies, who were to receive the forbidden technology. But not before the FBI had manipulated it.

While some of the technology was altered before being delivered to the Bulgarians, others were left completely unusable. However, to ensure the longevity of the operation and avoid suspicion, some of the technology was delivered unaltered.

The FBI also tampered with the electronics, which would then “accidentally” overload when plugged in by the Soviets. In addition, some machines and parts were tampered with so that they would stop working over time.

The Eastern bloc unwittingly purchased millions of dollars worth of sabotaged US goods. The communist spies, who had no idea they were being manipulated, were praised for their “success in purchasing this forbidden technology from the West.”

However, it was only a matter of time before the Austrian’s cover was blown and the Americans could no longer risk using him as an agent. “He did it all just for fun,” said Bill Kinane, a retired longtime FBI counterintelligence agent from San Francisco who helped oversee the intering operation. “And like most Austrians, he hated the Russians.”

After the Cold War, the Austrian reportedly returned to Europe and amassed a huge fortune in real estate.