Email Scams for Writers to Avoid

Scam emails are becoming more creative these days. They try to suck you in, hoping you’ll click on a link or send a response. Then they can extort money from you or install malware on your device. You have to be very careful to check all references independently and look for red flags such as misspellings, invalid websites, poor grammar, requests for fees or shipping costs, and offers that appear too good to be true. Here are a few examples of emails I’ve received.

Photo by Resume Genius on Unsplash

 

FREE MONEY

Hello Friend,

My name is [insert name], a lawyer and solicitor by profession here in Lome, Togo.

I am writing to you on behalf of my client, a nationality of your country who lived here in Lome, Republic of Togo in West-Africa when he was alive. My client died some years back, he left the sum of U.S. $8.5 Million in one of the banks here in Togo, West-Africa, unfortunately he did not leave any WILL nor address of any of his relatives, and the WILL have an open beneficiary.

I would like to present you as his relative, so you can inherit the money he left behind.

Reply me if you are interested in the inheritance money.

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Who would fall for this poor grammar, insane offer, and foreign locale? Nothing is free, certainly not huge sums of money!

If you’re this gullible, maybe I can sell you a valuable piece of Florida swampland.

BOOK PROMO OFFER                

This is one of the better targeted emails. It came via my website and is signed by a person with an alleged title and a gmail address only. The temptation is that the suggestions are good ones. Note that my box set is not in KU and is available wide.

Hi Nancy,

I recently reviewed The Bad Hair Day Mysteries Box Set Volume Six, and I admire how well you’ve maintained charm and freshness across such a long-running series. Stories like Star Tangled Murder show your ability to balance traditional cozy elements with clever twists, and the reader recognition (awards, press blurbs, and box set structure) reflects the strength of your work.

That said, I also noticed several strategic opportunities that could boost the discoverability of the box sets, especially among:

New readers looking to binge a cozy series from the start

Subscribers browsing through Kindle Unlimited looking for bundled value

Fans of award-winning cozy authors who aren’t yet in your orbit

Right now, the set isn’t fully optimized on Amazon for series binge readers (the kind who search phrases like “best cozy box sets” or “Florida cozy mystery bundles”). And with the critical acclaim you’ve earned, there’s an opportunity to better leverage that trust factor, not just with metadata, but with your positioning and language in ways that align with your brand voice.

This is exactly what I help authors with: using the work you’ve already published to increase traction, without burning out or changing your writing approach.

Would you be open to a short visibility breakdown specific to this series (free, no obligations)? Just practical ways to help the right readers find what you’ve already built.

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This is tempting because it mentions specific works and actual suggestions that would improve my visibility. The red flags are that my books are not in KU, and there’s no website or other info listed in the signature line. It’s clearly spam, and they’re hoping naïve authors will follow through. Even if you get a cold offer that seems legit, carefully check the references and don’t click on any links until you’ve verified the sender. And again, if it’s too good to be true, likely it is a scam.

FLATTERY WILL GET YOU NOWHERE

Hi Nancy,

Congratulations on your incredible legacy, from Permed to Death to Trimmed to Death, each title speaks volumes of your brilliance. Your dedication to the cozy mystery genre and the awards your books continue to earn truly reflect a voice readers crave.

I’ve spent 6+ years helping authors grow from quiet shelves to chart-topping visibility. I was with a leading publishing service before building a tighter, premium-focused team committed to helping talented writers like you expand without compromise.

I reached out because your stories still hold massive potential to reach new readers, gain fresh reviews, and rise above market noise with lasting impact. Our campaigns follow strategic timelines with flexible investment tiers, and we’ve taken authors from debut to millions in sales, with connections to show for it.

How has your journey evolved since your last release, and what direction do you dream of heading next?

Signed, another scammer with a gmail address

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I’ll bet you have experienced some of these. Do you auto delete or check them out?

Resources  

https://writerbeware.blog/2025/08/01/return-of-the-nigerian-prince-a-new-twist-on-book-marketing-scams/

https://terryambrose.com/category/scams/