Fraudulent Claims in Energy Innovation

A reader just sent me an email describing a “new development in energy” – one called …

“The MAFG is an electromechanical device that uses a diverse phenomenon known as Angular Momentum that conserves the energy produced during a cycle of compression. This compression and conservation of energy accelerates the displacement that gravity intensifies producing energy that can be easily captured.  Our product produces a method of capturing that energy and converting it into a usable energy source. Current AFG and MAFG we have as prototypes are producing usable energy.” (This carries on for several more paragraphs.)

The reader wrote to the “inventor” (cc:ing me):

“Pardon me for being a bit skeptical, even though what you have described does seem impossible, and certainly violates what we understand about the laws of physics.  Can our scientists read your evaluation literature, discuss the technologies with your engineers, and observe your prototypes? Has (your company) disclosed or patented the basis of the technologies? Are they operating, or operating in theory on solid works?”

I wrote to the reader:

“You are correct; this is fraud. Some people with claims like this, btw, are not frauds; they’re crackpots who (I think) honestly believe what they’re saying.  But this is written so emphatically with so many (fabricated) numbers that I’m confident that this is a garden-variety attempt at criminal fraud. 

Welcome to my world; I get 1 – 2 of these per week.”