ADE651 - the million-dollar bomb detector scam
The ADE651, it can spot bombs or narcotics or people or heartbeats or… whatever else you are looking for… even things you are not looking for… through brick walls… from aeroplanes… up to a kilometre away… honest!
The device contains no power source whatsoever, it is just a technical looking divining rod. Apparently, to work properly, it relies entirely on the operator being calm and well rested and well trained, then the hand held telescopic antenna will swivel round and point at whatever you are looking for, and even some things you are not.
Does this sound like nonsense to you? Of course it is nonsense!
Unfortunately, like so many scams, the device has an army of “true believes”; people who, for one reason or another, are so invested in the product that logic and reason don’t apply, their belief is based entirely on faith and/or anecdotal evidence. These people are not necessarily the uneducated or the desperate, in fact they can even be the same people who have control of millions of dollars of a countries’ military spending…
… and…the Iraqi military has just spent at least $24 million on fifteen-hundred of these!
From here this sounds quite funny, but if I were relying on these devices to keep me from terrorist attack I’d probably not be laughing.
What ATSC's web site looked like before they took it off line (image from: whois.domaintools.com)
The product: http://www.ade651.com/ade651in.html
This web-site claims that the “exclusive distributor” is Kaplaz Security Professionals LTD of Prosec Building, Serrail Street, Baabda, Lebanon
www.prosec.com
However the New York Times says the following company sold them to Iraq:
The suppler: ATSC-Ltd (site permanently unavailable).
Registered to: ATSC LTD, Jim McCormick.
Phone: +44-2071930282 (they never answer their phone)
Address: Dairy House Yard, Cary Road, Sparkford, Yeovil, BA22 7LH
This address looks like a private house opposite a farm, but Google Maps is a bit confused as it also says the Haynes International Motor Museum. Whatever is there it is not ATSC, it is either an old address or completely bogus.
More info on the device:
From the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/world/middleeast/04sensors.html
And Gizmo.com
http://gizmodo.com/5396888/the-bomb+sniffing-gadget-thats-definitely-not-saving-iraq
http://sniffexquestions.blogspot.com/
Hi Jon,
We have been trying to close down ATSC for over 12 months now you can fowllow our efforts on the UK Skeps site at:
http://www.skeptics.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=47058
You will also find the real address for the scamster McCormick on that site.
The authorised company in Lebanon is actually, Prosec,
http://www.prosec.com/index.htm
They still advertise the ade on their website.
I would appreciate it if you could put a link to the UK skeps under your ‘More info on the device ‘ heading.
best regards
Techowiz
11 Nov 09 at 3:09 pm
Hi Jon,
The scamsters are trying to fight back against the negative publicity from The New York Times article. They have done multiple postings under different names all saying how wonderful the ADE is. But sadly for them they all used the same IP address and have been further exposed. see the following links:
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2009/11/the_doghouse_ad.html?nc=80#comment-399387
http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2009/11/05/british-company-sells-60000-dowsing-rods-to-iraq-as-explosives-detectors/comment-page-1/#comment-28233
Best regards
Techowiz
16 Nov 09 at 8:31 pm
Hi Jon,
It gets even better, in an effort to convince people his scam works, McCormick is going to fit the ADE651 with, wait for it……………
Flashing lights
Read the story below:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1231678/Iraq-spent-85million-useless-bomb-detectors-Britain.html
regards
Techowiz
30 Nov 09 at 3:53 pm
Hi Jon,
Well it did not take too much time for another miracle detector to be ‘invented’, the smell of that $85mill that ATSC scammed from Iraq must be overpowering, the latest cowboys to try their luck are:
http://www.hazard-detection.com/
Read and laugh.
regards
Techowiz
21 Jan 10 at 4:23 pm
Hi Jon,
Great news the scammer-in-chief Jim McCormick of the ADE651 has been arrested for fraud involving his ADE651.
see the link for the story:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6997859.ece
regards
Techowiz
22 Jan 10 at 5:57 pm
Dairy house yard is actually a bit further west than the google maps are showing, its actually next to the Haynes Museum, if you look next to the race circuit you’ll see a yard with quite a few milk tanker trucks that is Dairy house yard which is operated by Gregory distribution but i also beleive they rent out office space so its possible ATSC had an office there at one time, the phone number above is not a local number to that area as the dialling code should be 01963 (or possibly 01935)
Ade (Honest!!)
23 Jan 10 at 7:30 pm
The full postal address for ATSC, and they are still there is:
DAIRY HOUSE YARD
SPARKFORD
YEOVIL
SOMERSET
BA22 7LH
regards
Techowiz
24 Jan 10 at 8:34 pm
Good news the other UK scammers involved in this type of fraud have had a long overdue visit from the cops, see the story at the link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/10269170.stm
regards
Techowiz
10 Jun 10 at 5:11 pm