Former FBI Agent Foregoes Retirement to Sell Converus’ New Lie Detection Technology
Panama-based EyeScan S.A., founded by David Wattley, signs on as Converus’ first authorized reseller. Wattley, with more than 30 years law enforcement experience, says EyeDetect is disruptive technology that will radically change the deception detection industry.
EyeScan Founder David Wattley, a former FBI agent, is the first authorized reseller for Converus’ EyeDetect. He feels this new lie detection technology will play a significant role in fighting corruption and fraud — a $2.6 trillion problem worldwide.
LEHI, Utah – Sep. 22, 2014 – David Wattley, a 24-year veteran of the FBI, decided to put retirement on hold to continue fighting corruption and fraud — a $2.6 trillion problem worldwide — by becoming an authorized service provider for Converus’ EyeDetect. The recently released technology is the first ocular-motor deception test method for lie detection.
Wattley first learned about the EyeDetect technology — which was still in the developing phase — in 2011 while working for the U.S. Department of State in Mexico. As a program coordinator, Wattley designed, managed and implemented the Developing Trustworthy Institution, part of the Merida Initiative — a multi-million dollar assistance program where the U.S. government provided assistance to the Mexican government in various security areas. He also worked with the Mexican Control de Confianza system, which included a significant focus on providing assistance to their polygraph capabilities.
At the time he highly recommended EyeDetect to the Mexican government to deter and detect deception. Since then, he’s patiently waited for the day it was ready to go to market. Within weeks of EyeDetect’s worldwide release last April, Wattley signed up as the company’s first “Premier Service Partner.”
“Once I saw the background, the science and people behind it, I became a believer and was 100 percent behind the product, “said Wattley, a native Panamanian who recently moved back to his home country where he founded a new company, EyeScan S.A. (www.Eye-Scan.net). “Corruption prevents organizations and governments from moving forward. EyeDetect is a marvelous, outstanding technology to help reduce corruption in Latin America.”
Instead of recording the body’s physiological responses to an examiner’s questions like the polygraph, EyeDetect monitors involuntary eye behavior to determine deception. Deception causes subtle and unintentional changes in the behavior of the human eye due to increased cognitive load. Across a series of validation trials, it classified truthful and deceptive examinees with 85 percent accuracy.
Wattley knows lie detection from all sides. As a regular part of background investigations in law enforcement, he regularly submitted to polygraph testing himself. He also authorized and managed the use of lie detection for the FBI. Wattley feels EyeDetect will be the disruptive technology of the decade that will radically change the deception detection industry.
“The polygraph is ideal for crime-specific incidents. But because of cost, intrusiveness, training and upkeep, it’s cost prohibitive to use on a large scale,” Wattley said. “Now, with EyeDetect, those costs can be reduced significantly. It’s non intrusive. It’s quick. The results are immediate. It’s going to help companies hire and maintain an honest workforce.”
“With more than 30 year’s experience in law enforcement, David’s support of EyeDetect brings great credibility to our technology,” said Converus CEO Todd Mickelsen.
During Wattley’s tenure with the FBI, he accepted complex and demanding national and international assignments — such as directing FBI operations in six Central American countries as a legal attaché to the United States Embassy in Panama and working as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Although the need for lie detection is increasing in government and business, adding additional operators in traditional polygraphing requires intensive training and trained, reputable, polygraph operators are only able to administer two to three polygraphs a day.
“With EyeDetect, you’re able to scale your operations to meet demand relatively quickly because a detection specialist trained in this technology can administer 10 to 12 tests per day,” Wattley said.
Converus plans to use Panama as a launching point to provide these services through Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. Wattley feels EyeScan is well positioned to take advantage of Panama’s geographic location, world banking center and crossroads of the world to make the product readily available in the region.
EyeScan’s first customer, Panama-based Manzanillo International Terminal, uses EyeDetect to ensure that security personnel handling and supervising the thousands of containers that pass through Panama on a daily basis are not involved in any illicit activity.
According to Wattley, Panamanian banks, insurance companies, retail stores, security companies, as well as private sector entities, are eager to use this product as a means to combat credit card fraud, identify internal theft and preserve profitability.
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About Converus
Converus (“with truth”) is committed to providing trustworthy credibility assessment solutions. Its flagship product, EyeDetect® — a product first conceived in 2002 — is the first ocular-motor deception detection solution. It’s an accurate, cost-effective, efficient, secure and nonintrusive method that detects deception in 30 minutes by analyzing eye behavior. The same scientists credited with computerizing the polygraph in 1991 developed EyeDetect. It’s a new way for organizations to manage risk and ensure workplace integrity, and for law enforcement agencies and governments to detect deception. Ultimately, it helps protect countries, corporations and communities from corruption, fraud and threats. The company is headquartered in Lehi, Utah, USA. For more information, visit www.converus.com.
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Press Contact: Jeff Pizzino, APR / +1 480.606.8292
