Would It Be Wrong If I Told People That...
Family & Relationships2 mins ago
Fake Bomb Detectors
23 Answers
A guy called James McCormick has been selling fake bomb detectors all over the world, knowing that they didn't work:
http://
Clearly McCormick is a vile individual with absolutely no morals whatsoever but my question is: how could people fall for such an obvious fraud? Listening to his sales pitch was like listening to someone explaining how perpetual motion machines 'work'. Apart from the loss of life, is the other tragedy the chronic ignorance in the general population about even the most simple aspects of science and physics?
http://
Clearly McCormick is a vile individual with absolutely no morals whatsoever but my question is: how could people fall for such an obvious fraud? Listening to his sales pitch was like listening to someone explaining how perpetual motion machines 'work'. Apart from the loss of life, is the other tragedy the chronic ignorance in the general population about even the most simple aspects of science and physics?
Answers
Why would one want to detect a fake bomb ?
09:24 Wed 24th Apr 2013
I briefly caught this astounding story on the news earlier myself birdie.
It beggars belief that the top brass and military bigwigs could fall for such a scam. I would've thought that that long before ordering that this device would've been through a rigorous and thorough test and taken apart to reveal it's inner workings and more importantly to rule out a scam or dangerous device.
If you tried selling these down the local market for a pound then believe you me the locals would've taken it apart metaphorically and laughed the seller out of the market.
To have fell for such a basic scam which could've put lives at risk some heads have to roll.
Who does the buying for the military, dads army?
It beggars belief that the top brass and military bigwigs could fall for such a scam. I would've thought that that long before ordering that this device would've been through a rigorous and thorough test and taken apart to reveal it's inner workings and more importantly to rule out a scam or dangerous device.
If you tried selling these down the local market for a pound then believe you me the locals would've taken it apart metaphorically and laughed the seller out of the market.
To have fell for such a basic scam which could've put lives at risk some heads have to roll.
Who does the buying for the military, dads army?
"There's the innocent, the ignorant and then the gullible - all easy target."
The military are meant to be the knowledgeable and the intelligent!
If we can't trust them from a two bit scam artist, can we really trust them with what they tell us? Can we trust them around nuclear warheads? Can we trust them not to be ripped of by the next scammer who walks through their door with another "great idea"?
Probably not.
The military are meant to be the knowledgeable and the intelligent!
If we can't trust them from a two bit scam artist, can we really trust them with what they tell us? Can we trust them around nuclear warheads? Can we trust them not to be ripped of by the next scammer who walks through their door with another "great idea"?
Probably not.
I was bemused by this story, though I know I shouldn't.
He took a device for finding Golf Balls which cost £13 and re-packaged it as a bomb detector, and sold it for £27,000 to gullible customers.
When they complained that it didn't work he told them they needed more training in the use of the equipment.
He was worth £50million but continued selling until he was found out.
He is obviously a crook and a fraudster, but there is also some delight to be had that he hoodwink all these Governments with more money than sense
He took a device for finding Golf Balls which cost £13 and re-packaged it as a bomb detector, and sold it for £27,000 to gullible customers.
When they complained that it didn't work he told them they needed more training in the use of the equipment.
He was worth £50million but continued selling until he was found out.
He is obviously a crook and a fraudster, but there is also some delight to be had that he hoodwink all these Governments with more money than sense
They did do trials - pre-arranged trials. A credulous audience and bribed officials and senior military figures.
Totally agree that he is a vile and unscrupulous individual - still defending their efficacy in a TV interview outside of court!
There is a german company been selling similar stuff all around the globe too - I was surprised at how many countries they were being sold into.
It is also a bit disappointing to see that the UK govt, despite being warned that these things were fake, did nothing much to stop the export. Guardian link below, containing a further link to the redacted emails that went between departments...
http://
Totally agree that he is a vile and unscrupulous individual - still defending their efficacy in a TV interview outside of court!
There is a german company been selling similar stuff all around the globe too - I was surprised at how many countries they were being sold into.
It is also a bit disappointing to see that the UK govt, despite being warned that these things were fake, did nothing much to stop the export. Guardian link below, containing a further link to the redacted emails that went between departments...
http://
Society - “... Everything he own should be confiscated...”
I agree. However, from what I've read, he's made around £50 million but the authorities have so far only been able to freeze about £7 million of his assets. I suspect the rest will never be traced as he traded largely in areas of the world that are notorious for money laundering operations and he was apparently quite adept at transferring large amounts of money through the international banking system without going through 'official' channels.
I agree. However, from what I've read, he's made around £50 million but the authorities have so far only been able to freeze about £7 million of his assets. I suspect the rest will never be traced as he traded largely in areas of the world that are notorious for money laundering operations and he was apparently quite adept at transferring large amounts of money through the international banking system without going through 'official' channels.
"He is obviously a crook and a fraudster, but there is also some delight to be had that he hoodwink all these Governments with more money than sense"
Very true. I'm surprised he wasn't made to "disappear" before this story made the headlines as he's made a mockery of these so called bigwigs and is an embarrassing thorn in their side as we speak.
It's probably too late for his death to be any good for those he scammed but i still wouldn't be surprised if he was "Mysteriously killed" in a freak car accident.
And on that note i'll wish you all a good evening as my insomnia's also mysteriously disappeared so only have a small window in which to get to sleep before it returns and i'm up all night.
Very true. I'm surprised he wasn't made to "disappear" before this story made the headlines as he's made a mockery of these so called bigwigs and is an embarrassing thorn in their side as we speak.
It's probably too late for his death to be any good for those he scammed but i still wouldn't be surprised if he was "Mysteriously killed" in a freak car accident.
And on that note i'll wish you all a good evening as my insomnia's also mysteriously disappeared so only have a small window in which to get to sleep before it returns and i'm up all night.
The footage I referred to in my original question was shown on the BBC six o'clock news. It was a very short clip of a presentation he was giving to some potential customers. I've been to the BBC website to get the link but they haven't got around to putting this evening's (ie. Tuesdays) six o'clock news on iPlayer yet.
It's worth a listen just he hear the complete and utter drivel that he comes out with as to how this device is supposed to work.
It's worth a listen just he hear the complete and utter drivel that he comes out with as to how this device is supposed to work.
The maximum is ten years.If the Crown managed to conjure up several counts the judge could have a go at making them consecutive sentences and see what the Court of Appeal said; it must be a temptation.
The offences must have included some corruption but the evidence may have been lacking and, anyway, English prosecutors are very coy about prosecuting people who bribe foreigner officials; it falls under the Bribery Act 2010 but the conditions include a term that the official is neither permitted nor required under local law to accept the payment, which, given local laws and practices in places where bribes are part of business life, is likely to be very difficult to prove!
The offences must have included some corruption but the evidence may have been lacking and, anyway, English prosecutors are very coy about prosecuting people who bribe foreigner officials; it falls under the Bribery Act 2010 but the conditions include a term that the official is neither permitted nor required under local law to accept the payment, which, given local laws and practices in places where bribes are part of business life, is likely to be very difficult to prove!
Yest more incompetence from Government departments.
They cannot write a contract to save their lives and continually show gross incompetence, usually coupled with arrogance.
government departments generally need sorting out but I expect the Unions would kick up, got to protect the little darling gold plated pensions and higher salaries than the private sector.
Not saying it couldn't happen in the private sector, it does. But the culprit would be out on his/her ass with no huge pay-off.
They cannot write a contract to save their lives and continually show gross incompetence, usually coupled with arrogance.
government departments generally need sorting out but I expect the Unions would kick up, got to protect the little darling gold plated pensions and higher salaries than the private sector.
Not saying it couldn't happen in the private sector, it does. But the culprit would be out on his/her ass with no huge pay-off.
@ O_G If it could reliably detect a fake bomb, that would be an improvement over what it actually can do - which is nothing at all.
Not sure that we can ever definitively link a bomb attack to actual fatalities - there were some car bombs wthin the green security zone in Baghdad back in 2009 that claimed lives - and some of those checkpoints were manned with security guards using these useless pieces of kit.
I am really quite appalled at the indifference shown by the FO or DoT or whoever oversees the export of such devices, first because of the delay on their part, and secondly when they did act, they only placed on ban on selling these things to Iraq.
There was a german company out there too - sold very similar useless devices to governments around the globe - malaya, thailand and elsewhere.
Astonishing how lax the trials of these devices were, and how credulous the audience.....
Not sure that we can ever definitively link a bomb attack to actual fatalities - there were some car bombs wthin the green security zone in Baghdad back in 2009 that claimed lives - and some of those checkpoints were manned with security guards using these useless pieces of kit.
I am really quite appalled at the indifference shown by the FO or DoT or whoever oversees the export of such devices, first because of the delay on their part, and secondly when they did act, they only placed on ban on selling these things to Iraq.
There was a german company out there too - sold very similar useless devices to governments around the globe - malaya, thailand and elsewhere.
Astonishing how lax the trials of these devices were, and how credulous the audience.....
I would find it funny if he'd maybe sold something else fake that no-one had bothered to check and thought 'silly geese should have checked it themselves', but a bomb detector? What sort of moral degenerate even considers for a moment selling a fake bomb detector which he knows will cost people their lives and physical integrity? I hope he gets a good sentence for such wickedness.
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