Beware impersonation scamsters!

TODAY, I RECEIVED the second email from an impersonation scamster in three days. This one was from a Charley Burlock, who says she is an editor at Oprah's Book Club, raving about my new mystery novel, Riversong, wanting to include it in a special book club feature, and offering to give me a "roadmap" of the book club's plans.

I discovered there is a real editor named Charley Burlock at Oprah Daily, but I'm sure she didn't send me this email, which came to me from a gmail address. If I'd wanted to see Charley's "roadmap," I would no doubt be asked to forward money.

The email I received three days ago was from a Michelle Nathan, claiming to be a marketing manager at Penguin Random House. I discovered that Nathan is also a real person, working at Penguin in London. Her alias also reached out from a gmail address. She gave Riversong another rave, with wording very similar to Burlock's "blending emotional depth with page-turning suspense."

Nathan offered to give me an Amazon Visibility Audit. Now why would a Penguin marketing manager want to make my book a success on Amazon?

When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

I've heard that scamsters also impersonate well-known authors, offering to get us published or promote our books. But I haven't yet received an email from Stephen King or J.K. Rowling offering get behind me.

Share this warning with your writing communities.