Writers and authors are prime targets for cons: overpayment scams, fake clients, stolen bios, the “old friend” who suddenly needs money. These posts dissect real scams, exactly how they work, and the tells that give them away before they cost you.
Amazon & KDPOctober 1, 2026
Once you publish, flattering emails from fake readers, book clubs, promoters and even famous literary agents start arriving. They're AI-written scams with no price until you reply. Here's how to spot them and what to do.
Amazon & KDPSeptember 29, 2026
Companies posing as Amazon publishing services cold-call authors and sell packages Amazon never offered. How the scam works, how to check a ghostwriting company before you pay, and what to do if you already did.
Authority Through AuthorshipJuly 7, 2026
Every ghostwriter claims bestsellers you can't verify and clients they can't name. Here's how to vet one anyway: the checkable signals, the questions that expose mills, and the red flags that end conversations.
CybersecurityMay 24, 2026
A name I had not seen in thirteen years appeared in my Facebook messages, an old friend who within a few lines had no money for food. I knew where it was going before she got there, because being scammed…
Book ROI & Business CaseMay 19, 2026
Three hours on a review for a fifty dollar prize I did not win. Three months of contests for one fifteen dollar win. The arithmetic on micro-income schemes is worse than it looks.
AuditsFebruary 11, 2026
Most social media audits are about looking professional: clean up the photos, polish the profile. That misses the real risk. Your posts, check-ins, and images are a map for anyone who wants to find you. Here is how to audit…
Business BooksFebruary 10, 2026
Tony stole $3,000 from me at 26, and twenty-five years later that con probably saved me thousands more when a Facebook scammer came calling. I thought I understood deception, I had worked in early computer security. Tony taught me otherwise.…
AI WritingFebruary 10, 2026
Michele paid a ghostwriting agency for a bestseller package and got back something unrecognizable, wrong voice, full of errors, clearly produced by someone who never read her draft. An assembly line, not a ghostwriter. Cheap quotes, stolen bios, and bestseller…
Book ROI & Business CaseFebruary 9, 2026
The internet is wall to wall with programs promising millions in a week, and most are case studies in how not to make money online. My first venture with Don Lapre's 900 numbers cost $750 and returned $7.50. Here is…
GhostwritingFebruary 9, 2026
It looked like a dream inquiry: a businessman with fifty years of experience, a $35K budget, a six-month timeline, real-looking credentials, all of it engineered to harvest free writing samples through a fake project. It nearly worked on me. Here…
CybersecurityFebruary 9, 2026
The email looked perfect, professional, polished, a serious ghostwriting project worth $90,000. The scammer spent a full month building trust before the trap sprang: an overpayment scheme designed to leave me $4,000 in the hole. The longer these cons run,…
AI OverrelianceFebruary 9, 2026
Last Tuesday I nearly became a fugitive, because my overseas virtual assistant could not tell business development from aggravated assault, and a routine client outreach almost turned into a criminal conspiracy case. It is a cautionary tale about outsourcing and…
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