A Scandalous Con: How One Man Fooled the Military with a Golf Ball Finder
In a shocking tale of deception, a former police officer named Steve was duped into selling his cutting-edge bomb detector to his childhood best friend, who then used it to swindle governments and militaries worldwide. The story begins in Hong Kong, where the scammer sold fake bomb detectors to questionable banks, which were then shipped to airports in Iraq for installation as a security measure. If installed, these devices had the potential to be lethal.
As part of Radio 4's Intrigue strand, Alice Levine narrates this gripping tale with her signature wry humor. The story is so convincing that it fooled even military personnel, who trusted the fake bomb detectors without hesitation. It's a heart-pounding account that spans multiple countries and raises questions about security measures gone wrong.
Also worth listening to this week are Joanna Scanlan in "Mercy," a poignant one-off drama where she plays a charming nurse struggling with her own demons; Jenny Kleeman's thought-provoking podcast "Ransom Man," which explores the darker side of the dark web; and Irish journalist Louise McLoughlin's "You Look Like Me," a thoughtful podcast that delves into the complexities of donor conception.
In a shocking tale of deception, a former police officer named Steve was duped into selling his cutting-edge bomb detector to his childhood best friend, who then used it to swindle governments and militaries worldwide. The story begins in Hong Kong, where the scammer sold fake bomb detectors to questionable banks, which were then shipped to airports in Iraq for installation as a security measure. If installed, these devices had the potential to be lethal.
As part of Radio 4's Intrigue strand, Alice Levine narrates this gripping tale with her signature wry humor. The story is so convincing that it fooled even military personnel, who trusted the fake bomb detectors without hesitation. It's a heart-pounding account that spans multiple countries and raises questions about security measures gone wrong.
Also worth listening to this week are Joanna Scanlan in "Mercy," a poignant one-off drama where she plays a charming nurse struggling with her own demons; Jenny Kleeman's thought-provoking podcast "Ransom Man," which explores the darker side of the dark web; and Irish journalist Louise McLoughlin's "You Look Like Me," a thoughtful podcast that delves into the complexities of donor conception.
... like, how one guy can be so convincing with a fake bomb detector? It's crazy how easily military personnel fell for it too. I mean, what's wrong with doing your due diligence before buying some gadget that claims to save lives? And the fact that this scammer was able to swindle governments and militaries worldwide is just mind-boggling. It's like, shouldn't we have some basic standards of verification in place before we start handing out multi-million dollar contracts? This whole thing has all the hallmarks of a classic con job, and it raises serious questions about security measures and accountability. We need to be way more vigilant when it comes to these sorts of things 
And now governments and militaries are talking about how they got duped by him... it's just wild. As a parent, I'm always worried about my kids' safety, so hearing that these devices could have been lethal is just terrifying. It makes me want to double-check all the security measures in place at our schools and airports. And what really gets me is that this guy was able to fool people who were supposed to be experts in their field... it's a great reminder for kids (and adults!) to stay skeptical and question information, especially if it sounds too good (or bad) to be true 
it just goes to show how easily gullible we can be when it comes to security measures, i mean i get that you gotta take precautions but come on folks! 
. Anyway, glad someone's exposing the truth now, so let's see some accountability and get these scammers behind bars! 
. Who needs that much convincing to trust a fake bomb detector? I mean, wouldn't it've been easier just to, like, ask for an ID? 
then he sold them to iraq airports like what 
anyway, i guess you could say this is a cautionary tale about not being too quick to trust everyone or anything, especially when it comes to high stakes situations 
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It's just crazy how some people can scam their way into making millions and putting lives at risk. I remember back in the day when we didn't have all these new-fangled gadgets, but at least we trusted our instincts a bit more 
. Now, it seems like anyone with an internet connection can sell us anything 
. Anyway, this story is definitely keeping me on the edge of my seat... I hope they catch him soon! 
. But seriously, how did no one catch on that it was a scam from the start? I guess when you're dealing with people's lives and security, they just wanna believe that everything is gonna be okay 
. Anyway, glad someone is exposing this story so we can all learn from it... like maybe don't buy bomb detectors from your buddy Steve 
. What really gets me is how far-reaching the scam was – from Hong Kong to Iraq and who knows where else. It just highlights how vulnerable we are when it comes to security measures and the people who can manipulate them. And what's even more disturbing is that military personnel actually trusted these fake detectors... I mean, what were they thinking? 
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