Yes, it's a scam. The main stable isotopes of Ni are Ni-58 and Ni-60. If the reaction is as claimed, the result would be Cu-59 and Cu-61, both of which are unstable and decay back to Ni (by emitting a positron).
The smoking gun in the article I cite is in the penultimate paragraph:
Then, we may add that the measurements made in Sweden showed that the copper purportedly created by nuclear transmutation in the E-Cat has the same isotopic composition as natural copper. That is simply not possible.
Exactly. The purported copper produced by the reaction was a fraud, plain and simple.
I haven’t read your link yet, but I was thinking a bit about this subject and I’m glad you brought it up again because I would like to add my (non-professional) musings:
Even if it’s true that the proponents are ignorant as to what kind of copper would be produced in any such reaction, and how unstable it would be, that doesn’t by itself prove them wrong (though it goes to the heart of their credibility, which is another matter).
After all, what if “cold fusion” works, and its by-products are radioactive but its result is a large net output of heat and its raw materials are much cheaper and easier to handle than standard fission reactor materials?
All that would mean is the idea of a “home unit” would be thrown out the window, but not the idea of cheaper, safer and more-abundant nuclear energy.
So the real question is, not are the proponents right about the copper isotope that would be created (though again, the fact that they are wrong on that says truckloads about their credibility) but:
Is there a large net output of heat?
If yes, then that is great news.
If no, it’s more hype and BS, like all “cold fusion” stories have been since the beginning.