"Free Energy" Devices
Since Dec 1994

How can we tell a free energy scam from an honest FE researcher? Here are some symptoms of a scam:

1. The researcher wants your money. He wants people to invest, he wants subscribers for expensive newsletters, wants to sell "Dealerships", he wants individuals to make large "donations." Or sometimes he wants to sell you extremely expensive plans which do not work... or to sell you all sorts of books and videos about devices which don't do anything real. In any scam, the WHOLE POINT is to separate the victims from their wallets. (If absolutely no money is involved, then the researcher might be legit... or the scam might be less obvious.) Some scammers say that they want to improve the world (etc.), but then they somehow always avoid doing this. They keep secrets, they run complex buisness deals... they do all sorts of things except the most obvious ones: sending out simple and obvious proof to everyone, and getting working FE devices out into the public by all possible methods.

2. You'll notice that the scammer uses deception. Now we all know that the "FE" field is similar to people selling maps to lost gold mines, or it's like the used car arena: honest dealers may exist, but they are rare. The majority of publicized FE companies are con-artists selling worthless junk to gullible people. For this reason, real FE researchers are careful to remain scruptiously honest. They bend over backwards to avoid misleading anyone even a little. They have deep habits of honesty, and they don't tell all those little lies which would be acceptable in other situations. So if you notice a researcher using even the smallest "politician ploy" or "marketing techniques," then you're almost certainly dealing with a con-man. If you point out these failings, they'll give sensible excuses. But the symptom is the lack of brutal bend-over-backwards honesty.

   
   

3. How can we tell? Just ask the F/E hobbyists. While most "skeptics" are hopelessly biased, and will dishonestly claim that ALL free-energy inventors are scammers, you can still ask the online F/E community. They'll quickly set you straight about who is a ripoff artist and who is a legit experimenter.

FE hobbyist's scam watch sites:

• Peswiki:Magniwork scam, Magnets4Energy scam , "Tesla's Secret" scam
• Peswiki:Bogus "FE plans" sites
• free energy and "Energy saving" power factor scams
• Adsitt's Scam Watch
• Eric Kreig's FE FAQ
• NuScam (Perreault)
• 'Green Scheme' scammers
• Many sites: warnings about "energy saving" and "power factor" fraud

3. The invention violates current laws of physics. Well, that's OK, since historical inventions often violate the physics theories of their time. But if many other listed symptoms are present as well, then it's a scam.

4. The invention is unproven. It has not yet splashed itself across news headlines worldwide. "NEW SOURCE OF ENERGY DISCOVERED IN USA!" Nope. Scams always involve unproven inventions. Unproven inventions might be real or might not. But scammers often hide behind this fuzzy status.

5. The inventor keeps the device secret. That, or their patent lacks some critical information and nobody can build a working copy based on the patent. (A small critical piece of info remains secret.)

6. The scammer usually has a good website. Make that a GREAT website. Well, actually their website looks like it was build by site-design experts who charge enormous fees. Wow, look at that thing, how could they afford to create such an expensive monstrous "online facade?" And that's it exactly: FACADE. The scammers spend all their resources making an airtight facade: a false front which looks trustworthy. Sometimes it looks far more trustworthy than any legit company's website. It certainly looks more trustworthy than the website of a legit inventor. REAL inventors' websites are crap, since they're made by the inventor (since inventors can't afford to pay anyone, and also, why pay for something that you can build yourself?)

7. It's NOT the company's number one goal to prove that the invention is real. The scam company seems to have no goal besides creating an aura of attractive secrets: secrets which will only be revealed to an in-group of "superior" blue-blooded investors, while we rabble on the outside are obviously inferior since we haven't invested and don't know the secrets. (It's the old "treasure map" trick, playing up your victims' self-importance.) Scamsters have all sorts of other tricks to appeal to snobbery or inflate the egos of investors. They also have many really sensible excuses for not proving that their discovery is real. But honest companies just sit down and prove their claims beyond any doubt BEFORE gathering investors. After all, its unethical to take investors' money for extremely questionable and totally unproven devices as if they were normal inventions developed by reliable companies.

8. The company performs public demonstrations... but something always goes wrong. If it's a scam, then the "failure" was planned all along. When the inventor starts a demonstration, watch for the "failure" which excuses the inventor from having to actually prove the device. Or more rarely, the demonstration is simple fraud, such as a hidden power supply, or something similar to water-to-gasoline chemistry demonstrations where the stirring spoon has a wax plug which melts and releases the gasoline from a hidden pocket.

9. The inventor doesn't publish successful scientific research papers (i.e. he doesn't publish detailed replication instructions,) or if he does, other researchers can't get them to work. Something vital wasn't included.

10. The inventor uses Grand Conspiracies or government supression as an excuse. Yes, actual suppression and small, non-grand conspiracies really do exist. Some inventors have genuine horror stories about these. But if it's ALWAYS "the conspiracy's fault" and the inventor cannot test the device or even show good evidence that it works, or can't make progress despite years of investments or "donations," can't reveal history of the work, can't reveal device details... if "The Conspiracy" is to blame, or if "The Oil Companies have made threats," then it's a scam.

11. You risk being labeled as a "Scoffer" or "Government Spy." Some scammers manipulate their audience using the following ploy: "If you're not fighting for me, then obviously you must be against me."   The scammer won't let you remain undecided about their invention. Instead he pressures and manipulates you to become his supporter. In other words, if you dare to look for flaws, or dare insist on clear and simple evidence, and if you refuse to jump on the scammer's bandwagon, you'll be attacked by the scammer and his supporters. They'll try to smear you with labels: "Nasty Skeptic," "Oil Company Shill," "CIA infiltrator." Even worse, other undecided people will see this happen. Those others may leap on the bandwagon out of fear; to avoid being Accused Of Witchcraft as you were. (In some online communities, just one accusation of Skepticism will get you permanently banished, so it's no small thing.) If you see this ploy in use, then you're certainly dealing with a seasoned expert in con-artist tactics.

12. The inventor doesn't give out working copies of the invention to independent labs for testing (the hardware stays secret and untested.)

13. Oh, did I forget to mention that the invention remains secret? :) Secret, secret, secret! Secrecy equals scam, scam equals secrecy.

14. The inventor makes one statement, then contradicts himself later. This string of lies may not be obvious, but is revealed by comparing various statements. A classic version is "The idea was given to me by god" ...followed later by "I must keep the invention a secret so idea-theives can't steal it." (Hmmm. If god has gifted mankind with the secret of free energy, why is this guy keeping it hidden, and worse, trying to make money off it?!! Gifts from god are supposed to be CONTROLLED? And SOLD?!)

15. The inventor hasn't tried winning any of the FE device prizes. Back in the days of flying machines, the genuine inventors were all questing after the several major prizes. They didn't distain the prizes and make excuses for not competing. But scammers sure do!

16. SEE: another list