Sniffex and Sniffex Plus are fake

explosive detection Explosive detection is a non-destructive inspection process to determine whether a container contains explosive material. Explosive detection is commonly used at airports, ports and for border control. Detection tools Colorimetrics & automate ...

systems produced by Homeland Safety International,

debunk A debunker is a person or organization that exposes or discredits claims believed to be false, exaggerated, or pretentious. "to expose or excoriate (a claim, assertion, sentiment, etc.) as being pretentious, false, or exaggerated: to debunk adv ...

ed as ineffective. Also availabl
here

Performance

An article in ''

The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...

'' in April 2007 explained that Sniffex is a

divining rod Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, claimed radiations (radiesthesia),As translated from one preface of the Kassel experiments, "roughly 10,000 active dowsers in Ge ...

and states that "In a test by the U.S. Navy, Sniffex didn't register when two trucks passed within 20 feet, hauling a half ton of explosives."Irving-based firm's device, stock trades under scrutiny
''

Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...

'', Monday, April 16, 2007 The Navy's counterterrorism technology task force tested Sniffex and concluded "The Sniffex handheld explosives detector does not work." Despite this, the US military bought eight for $50,000. Although high performance is claimed in advertising for Sniffex, such claims have not been verified by objective

double blind testing In a blind or blinded experiment, information which may influence the participants of the experiment is withheld until after the experiment is complete. Good blinding can reduce or eliminate experimental biases that arise from a participants' expec ...

.Sniffex fails a double blind test at a public demonstration (includes video clips)
/ref> During tests conducted at a public meeting by the president of the company, Sniffex did not detect test explosives when the user did not know in advance where they were located. Additionally,

James Randi James Randi (born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge; August 7, 1928 – October 20, 2020) was a Canadian-American stage magician, author and scientific skeptic who extensively challenged paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. Rodrigues 2010p. ...

publicly called into question the validity of Sniffex and exchanged correspondence with the CEO offering one million dollars if Sniffex can do what the press releases claim. The Sniffex device should not be confused with SniffEx, a prize-winning chemical vapor sensor developed at

Oak Ridge National Laboratories Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a U.S. multiprogram science and technology national laboratory sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and administered, managed, and operated by UT–Battelle as a federally funded research and ...

(ORNL). That sensor was originally called "Sniffex" until Homeland Safety International enforced its trademark and asked ORNL to stop using the name.

SEC lawsuits

In July 2008, the

Securities and Exchange Commission The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...

filed lawsuits against six company officers for driving "the share price from 80 cents to about $6 by issuing 33 news releases that contained mostly false information about the product and the company's financial situation to earn a combined $32 million in illegal profits." In mid-July one suit was settled. In addition, the SEC charged Homeland Safety International, promoters of Sniffex, "of being little more than the front for a $32 million

stock fraud Securities fraud, also known as stock fraud and investment fraud, is a deceptive practice in the stock or commodities markets that induces investors to make purchase or sale decisions on the basis of false information, frequently resulting in los ...

scheme that enriched insiders at the expense of unsuspecting investors". The SEC complaint said the company "installed a figurehead CEO, named Paul B. Johnson, to hide the involvement of two

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

n residents who actually controlled the company" and "then issued a series of what the SEC alleges were false press releases." One of the press releases included a claim of "'impressive'" results from tests conducted by the

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech and formerly New Mexico School of Mines) is a public university in Socorro, New Mexico. It offers over 30 bachelor of science degrees in technology, the sciences, engineering, man ...

. In reality, the tests were conducted by Johnson himself and the results were inconclusive". While the stocks rose the insiders sold, and the stock was trading at one tenth of a penny as of July 17, 2008. In July Mark B. Lindberg settled with SEC and a week later pleaded guilty to

wire fraud Mail fraud and wire fraud are terms used in the United States to describe the use of a physical or electronic mail system to fraud, defraud another, and are Federal crime in the United States, federal crimes there. Jurisdiction is claimed by the ...

. The HEDD1, reportedly a "Sniffex with a battery stuck on it," is marketed by the same company that markets Sniffex in Europe.

References

External links

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Questions about Sniffex
an informative blog

{{Use mdy dates, date=January 2012 Finance fraud Fraudulent detection devices

Performance

SEC lawsuits

See also

References

External links