Frank,
Had I accepted the challenge that Thomas set for me I think I would have fallen right in, that would have been me dispatched!!
I can't comment on any challenges Tom might have laid out for you. But I think there are many traps in this field. There are companies in which one could sink a lot of money, which would disappear forever, doing nobody any good. There are inventors and researchers who are going down a blind alley, guided by theories that are varying degrees of wrong, or perhaps "not even wrong," in some cases. There are a large number of papers or theories that may appear to someone new to the topic to be legitimate or impressive, but upon further investigation are no good. Many LENR watchers, including some who voice strong opinions in favor of LENR, are no doubt confused. This subject is surely a minefield. Are there scammers everywhere? I doubt it. Perhaps there are a few. I get the impression that most people seeking funding are sincere on some level. But that does not make those who are confused any less so.
Despite all of this, I'm persuaded there are anomalies worth investigating and that are being effectively investigated. In the present state of affairs, with the very low signal-to-noise ratio in the field in general, it could possibly take some time to become acquainted with various pitfalls and some of the more promising avenues of investigation.
Eric