Scam - A fraudulent business scheme; esp. for making a quick profit; swindle. To scam means to victimize; deprive of by deceit.

I am generally very cautious about calling any business proposition a scam, but when I read a recent article on the E-Fuel MicroFueler, described as "Earth's First Home Ethanol System" - that term immediately popped into my head.

The invention came to my attention about a year ago when a reader referred me to it and asked for my opinion. At that time the invention had been covered by the New York Times:

Home Brew for the Car, Not the Beer Cup

The MicroFueler will use sugar as its main fuel source, or feedstock, along with a specially packaged time-release yeast the company has developed. Depending on the cost of sugar, plus water and electricity, the company says it could cost as little as a dollar a gallon to make ethanol.