It doesn't matter if it's a fraud, a con, or even real; this article is terrible and should never have been published in any reputable news source. These claims of being "verified" or "replicated" are completely false, not least of which because there aren't any claims as to what is going on the first place.
The claim "I have a magic box" isn't science, it's ... well, magic.
The claim "I have a magic box" isn't science, it's ... well, magic.