Is Project Vigilant a Fraud?

“The job of the Chief Scientist is to ‘call bullshit’ when someone has an idea that will never work.” Chet Uber, Project Vigilant

Based on this material retrieved from Google cache, Project Vigilant is a fraud. The recent stories about Chet Uber recruiting volunteer Internet spies at Defcon, bragging about having 600 volunteers and advising Adrian Lamo to inform on Bradley Manning have been based on public relations hyperbole.

This material shows:

1. It has no physical address, no proof of legal existence, no assets, no evidence it is governmentally authorized to steal personal and business data, and to train and criminally direct volunteers to steal personal and business data around the world for ostensible government use.

2. No evidence that the stolen personal and business data is provided to governments in compliance with law governing such data.

3. Personal information on volunteers is being harvested for undisclosed purposes by offering a pretentious training and vetting process to ostensibly assure protection of national security secrets around the globe, with claims that federal agencies like the State Deparment will be involved. No qualifications to train in or handle national security secrets are offered.

4. Unpaid services by volunteers are being solicited under guise of patriotism to avoid or minimize financial accounting, salaries, insurance and health benefits, taxation and government oversight.

5. Notable persons have been induced to legitimate Project Vigilant by allowing their names to be used, or used without their permission or knowledge.

6. A plan to enlist children as spies.

7. In January 2010 there were no “fully vetted” volunteers.

8. Most of the project’s officer and advisory positions remain unfilled; the positions appear to be bogus.

9. Mission statements and categories of activities are empty boilerplate.