Wednesday, July 9, 2014

WiFiEX - another Indiegogo-approved scam?

Indiegogo has been used for several highly doubtful crowdfunding campaigns. I backed one up that is now mora than 1 year overdue, and Indiegogo's track record on handling dubious cases leaves a lot to be desired. Now, there's a new project that will certainly raise a lot of suspicion: a device you can "charge" at home with internet, and then take it anywhere you may go.

Yes, that's what this WiFiEX claims. It looks like a plain mobile hotspot device, that uses cellular networks data access; but its creators claim it works "anywhere" in the world and you'll have to pay nothing for it: as long as you "charge it at home". Sure, one could imagine a device with universal roaming, made in partnership with worldwide operators. But technical details are something that we don't get to see, and even the FAQ session dismisses the "how does it work?" with analogies to a mobile battery charger: "Just charge it at home and take it with you".

Also, the fact that there's no mention or proper identification of the project's creators nor their expertise or background would also be enough cause for concern. Nor the vague allusion that it uses "satellite communications"...

Sure, I would like to believe such a device would work for real. But based on what we get to see, it's more likely that after backing this project, the "charging program" will be using your PC to mine bitcoins or infect it with malware to steal your data; and that there will always be some kind of "satellite malfunction" that is preventing you from using your "charged internet" allowance in the middle of nowhere, as you hoped to use.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Amazon Store