The insidious presence of online scammers targeting authors is frightening. The increasing number suggests that for every author who is wise to their game, there is one who gets caught, otherwise they wouldn’t keep doing it. Scammers are able to scrape data from online sites – including Amazon – and grab the email address attached to a profile. They will offer to help raise your author profile, gain lots of reviews, or assist with marketing. They can sound really upbeat and enthusiastic. It’s difficult sometimes to recognise legitimate people simply seeking business from those who will simply divest you of your money. I wouldn’t trust anyone who approached me in that way.
Scammers sometimes ‘steal’ identities of other companies, online reader groups, online review sites, online magazines, and other authors. I’ve also received emails reputedly coming from Reedsy managers and from well-known authors. I increasingly receive emails from people running online book clubs, who promise to feature my book as their ‘book of the month’ or something similar. Apparently, they need the money to purchase books. They are all scams piggy-backing on the author’s work. Real book clubs don’t request money from the author.
Some scammers are less easy to spot. They take the trouble to create fairly impressive web sites with apparently genuine reviews. Don’t believe the five star reviews on the site unless they are verifiable. Check out the authors who have apparently given glowing reviews, go to their websites and contact them directly. One ‘film’ company that approached me regarding my ‘Emerald Isle’ series (with Bookouture) had a fantastic website. However, there was no reference to a film that had actually been produced through their services. Their glowing film star smiles were probably funded by their scamming efforts.
One way to detect scammers is to check out the sender’s email address. One introduced himself: Hello, I am Sanko Excel… yet his email address was davidsilk607. Some scammers are easy to identify as they use names that subconsciously create a positive vibe. Ones I have received which I believe are scams are by people using names such as Joy, Faith, Grace, Peace, Precious, Happiness, Goodness, Wealth, and Harmony. And the latest amusingly pretentious name, Marvellousstar! Some people address me by my first and last name with no break, obviously taken from my email address. When my work is referred to as ‘your book/novel/work’ they’re obviously fishing. Some start with ‘Dear Author, your book is amazing…’ Which book, I wonder? Emails that start with, ‘Hello Dear’ [no name] are likely to come from someone with little understanding of our culture… Unfortunately, AI is likely to be used more and more to enable scammers to produce emails that are grammatically correct and even more persuasive.
Don’t be wowed by the overwhelming praise for your work. It’s probably been generated by AI. But if the praise is well structured, capture it to use in your blurb. Make the scammer work for you.
Don’t be fooled by the genuine smile of the FPF image (personal profile image), either. It likely isn’t that of the scammer. The simple way to avoid being scammed is not to respond to cold-calling emails at all. Just delete them. If you do wish to respond to anyone, check their online profiles and websites, and ask for verifiable references. And don’t trust the email addresses provided, even if they contain the name of an author; anyone can set up an email using anyone’s name, and the response might easily come from the same scammer.
If you want to collaborate with someone regarding meta data, advertising or author profiling, choose your company rather than be persuaded by online cold-callers; find your specialist through a bonafide website such as Fiverr or Reedsy. Yes, they charge a fee, but your back is covered.
If you get an email with a great offer, remember the old adage: If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
