There are some pretty amazing ideas that can be found on Kickstarter right now. Some of those ideas might be too good to be true. These examples are proof of the fact that this crowdfunding platform isn’t just a place to shop. Real research has to be done to make sure money isn’t being wasted on products that will never come true.
1. Luci
The idea of being able to control lucid dreaming was an attractive one. This Kickstarter campaign raised $290k before backers became suspicious. Images appeared to be altered digitally. The campaign finally admitted they didn’t have access to their own prototype. Eventually the campaign was canceled.
2. ZionEyez
In 2010-2011, society thought it was pretty cool to be able to stream real-time video of what life was like for each of us. This Kickstarter project planned to take a pair of sunglasses and equip it with video recording software. It was successfully funded with $343,000, but the project has not shipped or even manufactured a single unit. This campaign has an Attorney General going after them.
3. Anonabox
Privacy on the internet is important to many people. The Anonabox was designed to be a plug-and-play method of connecting to Tor to hit the “dark” net. The campaign looked to be going strong until users on Reddit discovered that the project was just a copy of an existing Chinese product. Kickstarter themselves wound up shutting this one down.
4. iFind
Tech does well on Kickstarter, so it wasn’t surprising that this campaign reached $500k in pledges. The goal was to be able to use Bluetooth to sync with a cell phone without the need for a battery to locate items. The claim seemed to be too good to be true, so technicians experimented with current RF chips and determined the technology couldn’t function. Kickstarter shut this one down too before the campaign’s organizers could collect on the pledges.
In just four examples, more than $1 million was raised on projects that were either questionable or fraudulent in nature. This is why everyone must perform their due diligence on every project. Without research, you really could just be backing a really big scam.
Strong proponent of individual liberty and free speech. My goal is to present information that expands our awareness of crucial issues and exposes the manufactured illusion of freedom that we are sold in America. Question everything because nothing is what it seems.
