

Kickstarter scam: graphene capacitors - duncan_bayne
http://www.eevblog.com/2014/07/28/graphene-lithium-ion-capacitor-kickstarter-bs/

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tzs
The actual article title is "Graphene / Lithium Ion Capacitor Kickstarter BS".
The submitter's title makes a claim about the state of mind of the person
behind the Kickstarter that requires knowledge that the submitter does not
have unless he knows the person or has psychic ability.

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duncan_bayne
scam: "a dishonest scheme; a fraud."

Let's count the red flags:

\- he's made claims of performance that are far in excess of what anyone else
has managed with the same technology

\- he's lied about the purpose of the kickstarter; originally, it was to cover
PCB fabrication costs, now, it's to cover graphene capacitor costs

\- he's consistently refused to produce any hard data to validate his claims

So it's actually _two_ scams: snake oil, and a bait and switch. Classy.

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tzs
You are confusing fraud with incompetence. Everything he has done is
consistent with someone who is not competent, and perhaps a touch paranoid.
Not producing hard data actually points away from a scam, as scammers will
just make up data.

~~~
duncan_bayne
You are hell bent on being generous. Don't take that as a criticism :)

Okay, let's leave aside the issue of raw data. Let's say he really does, cross
his heart and hope to die, think that running a kids toy with a couple of
batteries is an appropriate way to back up his claims.

What about the bait and switch? He simply lied about what the kickstarter
funds would be used for. First it was for PCB fab, now it's for a run of
customer graphene caps.

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duncan_bayne
I wonder ... given the guy is claiming he needs $8k for a minimum purchase of
components that clearly can't & don't exist, has he been scammed by a dodgy
supplier?

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duncan_bayne
Actually, that's too generous. If he _was_ scammed himself, he doesn't seem
averse to doing the same to his backers.

