Sorry, I forgot the other questions. I didn't like your suggestions because they just didn't hit the right cord to me.
As to how long it takes to figure out if it's a scam, the answer is not long at all. The question is, how long before I can prove it's a scam. I would never call a company a scam just cause I think or feel it is. I see red flags but I have learned that there is a distinct line between hyperbole and fraud and no matter how good my "scamdar" is... I should keep my opinions to myself until I have the evidence. So, today I am still neutral on this one and continue digging.
Finally, while it's true there are tens of thousands of penny stocks, only a few make a lot of noise. The noisy ones catch the buzz if you will and at the same time they attract guys like me. Hopefully, this turns out to just be a company with a lot of compliant noise. If not, I'll let you know in great detail why I think its more. mmmk?