IndieAuthors.Social News2d ago

Watch Out For This Scam Impersonating Editors at Major Publishing Houses

I’ve recently gotten a slew of reports of emails purporting to be from editors at Big 5 and other large publishers, in which the supposed editor expresses interest in the writer’s work and asks whether they have a literary agent. I’ve posted a number of examples below. Apologies for so many images, but I wanted Read More
The post Watch Out For This Scam Impersonating Editors at Major Publishing Houses appeared first on Writer Beware.
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/03/27/watch-out-for-this-scam-impersonating-editors-at-major-publishing-houses

#OverseasScams #PublishingScams #ArtificialIntelligence #Impersonation #NigerianAIscams

Watch Out For This Scam Impersonating Editors at Major Publishing Houses - Writer Beware

I’ve recently gotten a slew of reports of emails purporting to be from editors at Big 5 and other large publishers, in which the supposed editor expresses interest in the writer’s work and asks whether they have a literary agent. I’ve posted a number of examples below. Apologies for so many images, but I wantedRead More

Writer Beware
IndieAuthors.Social NewsNov 14

If a Famous Author Calls, Hang Up: Anatomy of an Impersonation Scam

You open your email program one morning. The usual work stuff. Some spam (annoying that it got past your…
https://writerbeware.blog/2025/11/14/if-a-famous-author-calls-hang-up-anatomy-of-an-impersonation-scam

#MarketingScams #OverseasScams #ArtificialIntelligence #Impersonation #Nigerianscams

If a Famous Author Calls, Hang Up: Anatomy of an Impersonation Scam - Writer Beware

You open your email program one morning. The usual work stuff. Some spam (annoying that it got past your filters!). A couple of newsletters (maybe later). You sip your coffee, scroll down. Wait. What’s this? An email from…Suzanne Collins? The Suzanne Collins? This can’t be real, you think. Why would Suzanne Collins be contacting youRead More

Writer Beware
IndieAuthors.Social NewsOct 20

Army of Bots: Deeper Into the Vortex of Nigerian Marketing Scams

I’ve published a couple of posts now about the tidal wave of AI-driven marketing scams from Nigeria that has…
https://writerbeware.blog/2025/10/20/army-of-bots-deeper-into-the-vortex-of-nigerian-marketing-scams

#MarketingScams #OverseasScams #ArtificialIntelligence #Impersonation #Nigerianscams

Army of Bots: Deeper Into the Vortex of Nigerian Marketing Scams - Writer Beware

I’ve published a couple of posts now about the tidal wave of AI-driven marketing scams from Nigeria that has swept over the writing world in the past year or so. A hallmark of these scams has been how abruptly they appeared and how fast they have become ubiquitous. But proliferation isn’t the only way inRead More

Writer Beware
IndieAuthors.Social NewsSep 19, 2025

Return of the Nigerian Prince Redux: Beware Book Club and Book Review Scams

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a rising and extremely prolific marketing scam that I’ve been able to trace…
https://writerbeware.blog/2025/09/19/return-of-the-nigerian-prince-redux-beware-book-club-and-book-review-scams

#MarketingScams #OverseasScams #Nigeria #Solicitation
@indieauthors

Return of the Nigerian Prince Redux: Beware Book Club and Book Review Scams - Writer Beware

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a rising and extremely prolific marketing scam that I’ve been able to trace back to operators in Nigeria. Using highly personalized (AI-generated) email solicitations that make it seem the sender (always with a Gmail address, always presenting as a marketing or PR expert) has really read the book,Read More

Writer Beware
IndieAuthors.Social NewsAug 1, 2025

Return of the Nigerian Prince: A New Twist on Book Marketing Scams

Marketing scams have always been plentiful. Over the past year or so, though, they’ve really surged. I’ve written about one type of marketing…
https://writerbeware.blog/2025/08/01/return-of-the-nigerian-prince-a-new-twist-on-book-marketing-scams

#MarketingScams #OverseasScams #Solicitation
@indieauthors

Return of the Nigerian Prince: A New Twist on Book Marketing Scams - Writer Beware

NOTE: There are now two more Nigeria-based marketing scams targeting writers. Read about them here. Marketing scams have always been plentiful. Over the past year or so, though, they’ve really surged. I’ve written about one type of marketing scam–the “friendly author” social media scam, in which someone impersonating a real (and often very well-known) authorRead More

Writer Beware
IndieAuthors.Social NewsMay 9, 2025

Two to Avoid: Book Order Scams and Fake Reviews

Scammers are nothing if not inventive. As writers become wise to their techniques, they invent new ones. Here are two newish frauds that appear to be on the rise. As with most writing scams these days,…
https://writerbeware.blog/2025/05/09/two-to-avoid-book-order-scams-and-fake-reviews

#OverseasScams #Bookreviews #Solicitation
@indieauthors

Two to Avoid: Book Order Scams and Fake Reviews - Writer Beware

Scammers are nothing if not inventive. As writers become wise to their techniques, they invent new ones. Here are two newish frauds that appear to be on the rise. As with most writing scams these days, they target self-published authors. The Book Order Scam I’ve written before about book order scams, in the context ofRead More

Writer Beware
IndieAuthors.Social NewsApr 25, 2025

Guest Post: My Twenty-Four Hour Dream

I’ve written many scam case studies and investigations on this blog, all of which reference and/or describe writers’ direct experiences (while protecting their identities, as Writer Beware always promises to do). But when…
https://writerbeware.blog/2025/04/25/guest-post-my-twenty-four-hour-dream

#OverseasScams #BooktoFilm #Impersonation #Solicitation
@indieauthors

Guest Post: My Twenty-Four Hour Dream - Writer Beware

I’ve written many scam case studies and investigations on this blog, all of which reference and/or describe writers’ direct experiences (while protecting their identities, as Writer Beware always promises to do). But when the essay below landed in my inbox this week, it presented the perfect opportunity to offer a different perspective: a writer’s ownRead More

Writer Beware
IndieAuthors.Social NewsMar 28, 2025

A New Scam to Watch For: “Pre-Paid” Agent Commissions

As I’ve discussed to my readers’ exhaustion, as well as my own, impersonation scams are rife these days. Scammers are impersonating real, reputable literary agents, publishers,…
https://writerbeware.blog/2025/03/28/a-new-scam-to-watch-for-pre-paid-agent-commissions

#LiteraryAgentScams #OverseasScams #Impersonation
@indieauthors

A New Scam to Watch For: "Pre-Paid" Agent Commissions - Writer Beware

As I’ve discussed to my readers’ exhaustion, as well as my own, impersonation scams are rife these days. Scammers are impersonating real, reputable literary agents, publishers, editors, film production companies, bookstores, and organizations with out-of-the-blue phone and email solicitations purporting to offer representation, or publication, or a big budget movie–but in reality, the goal isRead More

Writer Beware