Update on those Flattering AI Book Marketing Scams

 

by Anne R. Allen

 

The AI book marketing scams are proliferating like Tribbles. I’ve probably had more than a thousand emails from them since mid-summer. Like Star Trek’s Tribbles, the emails approach you with warm and fuzzy friendliness. But don’t be fooled.

These scammers wouldn’t be so relentless unless this stuff is working. That means a lot of writers are falling into their traps. Spread the word to your fellow writers: those flattering emails that sound like the dream review you always craved, are all nasty scams.

They are all AI-generated scams perpetrated by a gang of professional crooks. Nothing they offer is real. They will rob you of thousands of dollars, and you may lose control (and royalties) of your own books on Amazon.

I’ve become something of an expert on these AI book marketing scams, because my email address has now been assigned to at least seven authors.  (AI isn’t always accurate, guys.)

• Anne Allen (no “R”), a Brit who writes romantic novels set on the Island of Guernsey
• Annette R. Allen, who writes very expensive books of religious poetry
• Allen Iverson, the basketball player who wrote a memoir this year
• Eve Harris, author of several memoirs
• Ann T. Allen, a retired history professor who has written scholarly works on the Weimar Republic (and is my cousin 😊)
• R. Allen, who seems to write thrillers
• Somebody named Rogers who is famously a member of the LGBTQ+ community

Anne-no-R-Allen gets the bulk of the emails. These people LOVE them some Guernsey novels.

Some are even addressed to me. They’ve sent them about most of my published works. My favorite was the one that called my bestselling how-to book, The Author Blog: Easy Blogging for Busy Authors “a raw and heartfelt memoir.” 😊

So Who’s Perpetrating These AI Book Marketing Scams?

Victoria Strauss at Writer Beware and some of her readers were brave enough to reply some of these email solicitations. They all seem to lead to a Nigerian gang, perhaps consisting of former “Nigerian Princes.” She’s got all the receipts and can prove where they are being generated.

Without AI, most of these people would be easy to spot. But their AI program seems to be sleeping on the job when it comes to naming these “marketers.”

Here are some of the most fun names I’ve had emails from in the past two weeks: Klutz Diane, Lovely Wealth, Precious Pixel, Esther Miracle, Victory R. Strong, Loveth Dominique, Delight Dicey, Faith Digital, Dawn Organizer, Honour Empyrion, and my favorites—Ibrinax Fdag (wasn’t he a character in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?) and Salominarus Rexieno. (Perhaps a newly discovered species of dinosaur?)

Also, the email attached may be odd and not related to the phony name. I got one today from Blessing Pixel, whose email address is rashmarketer004@gmail. (They’re always throw-away gmail addresses.)

It’s Not Just “I Want to Be Your Publicist” Anymore

There are at least six different scams that come in the current barrage of emails. They sound different, but be assured, they’re all the same people who want to take your money and will disappear without delivering anything. Or they’ll deliver just enough that you’ll give them your Amazon password. Then you can say goodbye to your royalties forever.

This is the original scam that I’ve been getting for a couple of months:

Hire Me and I’ll Make you a Star!

Love your work! You are a genius. How can I make you a bestseller? Let me count the ways. These are the most elaborate. They include a long, glowing AI review of your brilliant book, full of praise for your awesomeness. Then there’s a list of all the ways they’re going to make you famous. That includes new keywords, optimizing your author page,  social media blitzes, newsletter blasts, podcast interviews, etc.

Note: Victoria Strauss reports that not all of these people disappear after an initial payment. One author she has heard from did hire one of these people, and they delivered—after a fashion. None of their social media followers existed and the newsletter blasts went to randos who had no interest in the author’s books. The author was not only out many thousands of dollars, but she had to delete all her social media accounts.

The Newest Wave of AI Book Marketing Scams

Lest we get bored, these folks keep finding new scams to offer us.

The newest group of scammers often don’t always bother to give you a name or go into an elaborate AI generated review of your book. You’re mostly “Author” or “Hey.” These emails are often short and generic, but they do use some targeted praise.

1)    Hire Me to Make you a Book Trailer.

Love your work! You are a genius, and I’ll make you a (very expensive) book trailer that will rocket your book to the top of the bestseller lists. How? That’s for you to figure out.

2)    I Want to Recommend your Book to my (Nonexistent) Book Club. 

This one is very popular right now. Love your work! You are a genius, so I want to feature your (usually unnamed) book at my book club, which has over 5000, 10,000, 100,000, 500,000, or whatever members who will all write you glowing reviews. Just tip each one $25. Note: Some scammers use names of real book clubs, but it’s easy to see they don’t read your genre and they sure don’t have 500K members.

3)    I’ll Make you Famous on TikTok.

You’re a dumbass. You’ve got hardly any reviews. But I’ll fix that by featuring your book (always just the one) to all my 5000, 10,000, 100,000, 500,000 or whatever TikTok followers.

4)     A Famous Author Wants to be your Bestie.

I’m impersonating a famous author. (I got one from “Liane Moriarty.”) How do you know I’m famous? Here’s my resume. I came across your book, and I’d like to know all about your journey as a writer. Because working authors have so much time on our hands.

They don’t ask for anything in the first couple of emails, but they are buttering you up to move in for the kill. Sometimes this is another bogus marketing scheme, and others lead to an old warhorse of a scam: you’re referred to a bogus agent who refers you to a bogus and very expensive “editing service.”

5)     A Referral from a Rando You’ve Never Heard of

Victoria Strauss reports an offshoot of the Famous Author Scam I haven’t had yet. Somebody you’ve never heard of writes you a chummy email out of the blue and says she loves your work and refers you to a bogus agent. Or an agent who exists, but the contact info is all wrong. I have no doubt it will show up in my inbox this week. And probably yours.

6)    I Wanna Buy your Book, but I’ve Never Heard of Amazon.

I came across your book on Facebook. But I’m too stupid and/or lazy to click on the link to your buy page, so will you please tell me where I can buy a copy of your book? This is either an invitation to be scammed or a phishing expedition. I haven’t got the nerve to find out.

A Scam for Bigger Press and Big 5 Authors

Just so you don’t feel left out, trad-pubbed authors are the targets of a current scam, too. This can’t be blamed on the Nigerians, but it is equally diabolical. This involves the Anthropic class action lawsuit. My friend Catherine Ryan Hyde clued me onto this one after a warning from her agent:

A company called “Claims Hero” offers to help authors with copyrighted works increase their settlement from the lawsuit. But they’re really tricking you into opting out of the settlement entirely. The motive isn’t exactly clear to me. They may be collecting the money themselves.

 Please Spread the Word about AI Book Marketing Scams.

Many, many authors who are indie or with small presses are targeted by these Nigerian scams. Most of you are savvy enough to send the emails to spam. But enough writers are falling for this AI generated stuff that these people are getting rich and sending out more and more spam. Don’t let them. Tell all your writer friends what is happening and don’t let them fall into the trap.

by Anne R. Allen (@annerallen and annerallen.bsky.social) November 16, 2025

What about you, scriveners? How many of these AI book marketing scams have landed in your inbox? Do you get any that are intended for other authors with names similar to yours? Do you know anybody who has been taken in by these crooks?

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