Elon Musk endorsing a secret brain boosting technology that can enhance your IQ overnight? Sounds miraculous but too good to be true.
A supposed audio track called “The Genius Wave” claiming to instantly activate your superbrain has been heavily promoted online using Elon Musk’s name and image. The slick ads describe it as “Edison’s 7-second brain trick from a top NASA scientist”.
This genius brainwave technology is an elaborate scam designed to bait Musk fans and science enthusiasts. The outlandish claims are unproven fiction. The endorsements – fake. The advertised results – completely fabricated.
I investigated The Genius Wave to uncover how this deceptive scam really works. In this exposé, I’ll reveal the truth behind the outlandish promises, show you the deceptive sales tactics used to manipulate consumers, and provide tips on how to protect yourself moving forward.
Scam Overview
Ads claiming Elon Musk endorsed a product called “The Genius Wave” that supposedly came from a “top NASA scientist” and is “Edison’s 7-second brain trick” that can “activate your superbrain” have been proliferating on social media. These ads are a scam designed to extract money from unsuspecting people. Let’s take a closer look at how this scam works.
The so-called “Genius Wave” claims to be a special audio track developed by NASA that synchronizes with your brain waves and activates your Theta brainwaves, tapping into your creative genius. According to the ad’s claims, listening to this audio for just 7 seconds per day can enhance cognition, improve memory, increase focus, and make you luckier.
Too good to be true? Absolutely. There is no scientific evidence that listening to certain sounds can magically enhance your brainpower. NASA has nothing to do with this product. The ads use fake endorsements from Elon Musk and fake reviews to lend legitimacy.
The website is littered with stock photos, fake credentials, and pseudoscience. The creator “Dr. James Rivers” does not seem to exist outside of this scam. The website design is meant to overwhelm you with scientific sounding jargon to make the claims seem plausible. But this is just a clever sales funnel aimed at extracting money from people through deception.
The website even admits that this audio track is supposedly over 200 million years old and known to Thomas Edison. This is clearly fiction. The entire premise is absurd if you think about it logically. But the scammers are betting on people suspending their disbelief because they want so badly for it to be true.
The fake reviews and testimonials throughout the sales page are completely fabricated. The site claims 19,389 Americans have benefited from this “brain trick” but provides zero verifiable proof. There are no real customer reviews anywhere online.
The discount timers and prices are fake. The site claims the price is slashed from $200 to $39 but this “limited time” discount never expires. The sole purpose is to create a false sense of urgency.
Furthermore, NASA has debunked these claims and stated they are in no way associated with any product called The Genius Wave. Elon Musk’s companies have also confirmed he has no involvement with this scam.
In summary, The Genius Wave is a dishonest get-rich-quick scheme built entirely on lies. The product claims are unscientific fiction. The creator, reviews, endorsements, discounts, and associations are all fabricated. It is designed to manipulate people into buying a worthless product through deception. Do not fall for it.
This scam has been also investigated by Jordan Liles on his YouTube channel, where he offers a detailed video on the subject. We recommend watching his content for a comprehensive understanding of the scam.
Next, let’s break down exactly how scammers carry out this scam from start to finish.
How The Scam Works
Let’s break down step-by-step how the Genius Wave scam operates to deceive people and extract their money:
1. Place Fake Celebrity Endorsement Ads on Social Media
The scammers behind The Genius Wave rely heavily on fake celebrity endorsements to add credibility and spread their ads far and wide. They have created fake images of Elon Musk alongside blocks of text implying his endorsement. These ads specifically target Musk fans on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
The ads claim Elon Musk is backing this brainwave product. Some ads feature doctored images of Musk mentioning or promoting The Genius Wave. Other ads simply use his name and implication. This celebrity endorsement helps the ads gain attention and traction.
2. Drive Traffic to a Deceptive Sales Page
The social media ads all contain links to the website TheGeniusWave.com. This page uses elaborate claims, fake credentials, pseudoscience, and misleading design tactics to make the scam appear legitimate.
The site attributes the Genius Wave to a non-existent NASA scientist named Dr. James Rivers. There are stock photos of people in lab coats to imply expertise. Logos of universities and scientific journals are scattered throughout to look like endorsements.
The sales copy is filled with scientific jargon and references to Einstein, NASA, and MIT. This is all designed to overwhelm people with too much complex information to hide the fact that the core claim itself is nonsense.
3. Inundate Visitors with Fake Reviews and Testimonials
A common scam tactic is flooding the site with fake reviews and testimonials. The Genius Wave sales page contains dozens of these fabricated stories.
The reviews claim specific people had incredible results from using the product. But no actual evidence or proof is provided. The names, photos, and stories are completely made up.
For example, “Dr. Steven Novak, Age 53, Neurologist” says the audio helped him solve complex equations. None of these people can be verified outside the site. It is all part of the deception.
4. Use False Claims About NASA and MIT
To sound more legitimate, the site falsely claims the Genius Wave audio originated from a secret NASA study. This is completely untrue. NASA has never studied or endorsed such a product.
The fake creator, Dr. James Rivers, is described as an MIT neuroscientist. This is more deception. No record of this person exists. MIT has no association with this scam.
Lying about origins from NASA and MIT makes the wild claims seem plausible to unsuspecting consumers. But all of it is fabricated with no factual basis.
5. Invent a Fake Backstory and Origin
The site creatively invents a whole backstory for the origin of this supposed genius brainwave audio track.
It claims NASA did a study on schoolchildren and found the audio created “genius” abilities. Then it claims NASA did the study again years later and found the benefits had disappeared in the kids as they got older.
This story about NASA research is pure fiction designed to explain why adults need to re-activate this brainwave recording. The scammers spent time crafting this fictional tale to convince consumers.
6. Use Countdown Timers and Time-Sensitive Offers
The site utilizes countdown timers and language about time-sensitive offers to produce urgency and pressure.
There are multiple instances of “only X hours left!” and “today only!” throughout the page. Claims of quick price increases are meant to scare people into fast purchases before the discounts disappear.
In reality, these timers and expiration claims are completely fake. If you refresh the page, the timers reset. The “limited-time” discounts never expire. It is all a pressurizing sales tactic.
7. Offer an Empty Money-Back Guarantee
The Genius Wave offers a money-back guarantee to reduce the risk of trying the product. This gives people more confidence to purchase it.
But in reality, many consumers find it extremely difficult to actually get a refund. Customer service allegedly gives people the runaround. The company banks on the hassle not being worth it for the small purchase price.
Also, the scammers know many victims will feel embarrassed they fell for the scam and won’t even seek a refund. The so-called guarantee is just part of the scam plan.
8. Use ClickBank to Process Payments
When you try to purchase The Genius Wave for $39, you are redirected to ClickBank, a third-party digital marketplace platform
9. Take the money
At best, the customer will receive a worthless audio track containing random noises with no benefits. But often, nothing arrives at all.
Meanwhile, the fraudsters quickly swipe your money and pivot to finding new victims. The site may soon disappear or reappear under a different name.
The bottom line? No genius audio, no brain boost. That is the harsh reality of how the Genius Wave scam unfolds.
What to do if you have fallen victim to this Scam
If you unfortunately already purchased The Genius Wave and suspect you have been scammed, here are some steps to take right away:
- Contact your bank or credit card provider: Notify them you believe your card was used fraudulently so no further charges can be made. Request a chargeback to reverse the payment if possible.
- Gather details about the transaction: The date, company name, customer service numbers, receipts, etc. This evidence will help your bank assist you and investigate it.
- Try to get a refund directly: Although unlikely, attempt to contact The Genius Wave customer support to ask for an immediate refund. Be persistent if they give you the runaround. Document everything.
- Call your local authorities: File a scam report with your local police department or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. They track these schemes even if they can’t always recover the money.
- Check your credit reports: Scammers may have accessed more data than just your card number. Monitor your credit reports and bank statements closely for any suspicious activity
- Warn others: Help prevent others from becoming victims by reporting fake ads, leaving online reviews about the scam, and spreading awareness on social media. The more you can expose the scam, the harder it will be for them to keep defrauding people.
- Be more vigilant moving forward: Learn from this experience how scammers operate. Be wary of too-good-to-be-true claims, unrealistic discounts, fake celebrity endorsements, and pressure to buy immediately. Stick to trusted brands and research thoroughly before making purchases from unfamiliar sites.
Educating Yourself is the Best Defense
The old saying goes “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.” No purchase should ever be made out of haste, excitement or pressure. Here are some habits to build for smarter online consumerism:
- Search for in-depth reviews from real consumers and experts before buying. Look for consistent feedback across various independent platforms.
- Verify all credentials and claims you can. Do not take marketing material at face value. Independently confirm.
- Research the company history and leadership behind a product. Are they real people with substance? Or just a hollow website?
- Check scam warning sites like RipOffReport.com and ComplaintsBoard.com for alerts about a company.
- Beware of fake urgency with countdown timers or claims of disappearing discounts pressuring you. It’s a manipulation tactic.
- Use scam checker tools like ScamAdviser.com and ScamWarners.com to detect risks with a website.
- Avoid clicking random product ads and only shop from well known legitimate sites with security certifications.
- Install a pop-up blocker and ad blocker to reduce exposure to sketchy ads promoting scams and misinformation.
The more thoroughly informed you become as a consumer, the less vulnerable you will be to getting deceived by clever scammers. Never let excitement or buzz overrule logic and caution. Do your homework before any purchase.
An empowered and skeptical consumer is the worst nightmare of scammers. Educating yourself is the ultimate defense.
This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute professional, financial or legal advice. The content is intended for general information and should not be construed as definitive guidance. Information contained herein is subject to change without notice. For concerns, please contact us via the provided form. If you are the owner of the website or product in question and wish to offer clarifications regarding your business or website, please reach out to us through the provided Contact Form.
