Really interesting electronics scam

[Adam Y.]

You too can win a hundred dollars for proving an obvious forgery a forgery. All you have to do is name the part number of the electronics device embedded in the rock. Though to be honest it looks like he photoshopped the image in order to destroy any identifiable marks.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... otohosting

[Mike]

It's amazing people are dumb enough to actually bid for something like that. Least nobody has yet.<p>But things like the Lincoln Fry, www.lincolnfry.com. come on, whose that big of an idiot to buy something like that, especially for 21,000 dollars!<p>or this, 500,000 dollars for a rock that is almost as obviously fake because it is stated on the page:<p>Note: My rock is being auctioned off strictly "as is". I make no claims whatsoever about it being genuine or authentic, when it was created, where it was created, why it was created, who created it, how it was created, and what it was used or intended for. <p>These scams are really getting on my nerves.

[terri]

The word "gullible" is not in the dictionary.

[dr_when]

Doh! Any student of the religion of evolution would recognize that rock as a prehistoric 3-way light bulb (prior to necessary required refinements). If Edison had only known.

[philba]

I'm not sure you can technically call that a scam since it doesn't purport to be something that it isn't. Of course, if the picture *was* photoshopped then I retract my claim...<p>It never fails to amaze me how many people have a well developed facillity for self deception.<p>By the way, a lot of these are bought by companies looking for publicity. Basically a stunt so maybe they aren't so stupid, afterall.

[chapter30]

It's an XLR connector stuck in a rock....By an alien!<p>Do you guys want to go in together and buy it!

[Sterling Martin]

Hey, good idea! I've got $1.50 that I'll throw in!

[jollyrgr]

The poster on the eBay site claims it is not an XLR connector. Could be they are telling the truth as I have seen similar plugs to XLR that are not compatible with XLR jacks.<p>The poster also claims that his was on Coast to Coast. I like Art Bell as an entertainer. (Sorry, I can't put up with George Nory.) The problem with Coast to Coast is the lack of interest of the truth when provided. One story Art reported talked about a place that had been removed from Mapquest. (I cannot remember but think it was Mel's hole or Mel's second hole. Or it could have been the "new" Area 51 but cannot be sure what was hidden there.) This area, out in the middle of nowhere, had a mile square removed from on online satellite/airborne image section. Based on the link and seeing the missing information from the one source I determined the Latitude and Longitude (it was embedded in the URL). I looked up this area using a different mapping search engine and there was the missing square. What was there? More middle of nowhere open land. No hidden alien monuments or bottomless pits; no government bases. I e-mailed Coast to Coast several times but never received a reply. I guess a government conspiracy to hide something is more interesting than the truth. Nobody ever corrected the story.<p>If someone wants to make these I'm sure the XLR connector would work just fine. The true tell about the scam is the $100 requires the part number of the object. Even if you COULD come up with the part number of something similar the scammer would never come clean and claim you didn't get the right number.

[CeaSaR]

While lying on my "deathbed" this weekend with that nasty stomach bug, I saw a show on ?the History Channel? about animals. One particular section dealt with spiders. They produced a nest from a TrapDoor spider that looked remarkably like the "Alien Rock" that is so dubiously up for sale. Maybe the spider is a former rock star?<p>CeaSaR

[haklesup]

Given the sellers proximity to area 51, and assuming the photos are of a real object. I would postulate that it is a sisemic sensor that was disguised as a rock. It is probably part of the extensive intrusion detection system around the labs in the area. Or it is an outright fabrication and hoax.<p>Since the object looks like something anyone with a diamond drill and some stone epoxy could make, I don't see any reason a reasonable porson would conclude it came from extraterrestrial origin. I will make anyone here one and only charge $1000 each, what a deal.<p>However, if it was carried over the border by an illegal mexican immigrant, than it is indeed of Alien origin.<p>This auction is just a hook to get you to buy the CDROM which is the real ripoff.