Kickstarter scam: graphene capacitors

eevblog.com

35 points·duncan_bayne··6 comments

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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

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