Scam Alert

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to let you know today that I recently received an alert from a fan, through my publisher’s website, that someone out there is sending out one of those letters that we have all gotten by now. Usually they say that a friend is stuck in the Philippines, or Lebanon, or some exotic place, their wallet has been stolen, they can’t get home, and please wire them money somewhere. The first time I got a letter like that, I was alarmed for the friend who had allegedly sent it, couldn’t imagine how she had gotten where she was, what was she doing there alone, and why wasn’t her husband helping her get home. I called a mutual friend the next morning, who laughed at me. Apparently the whole world has received letters like that, and of course when I called the friend who was supposed to be in distress, she was happily at home, having breakfast with her husband, with her dogs cozily at her feet. And her email account had been hacked. Getting a letter like that was a new experience for me, and I have had several since, and pay no attention to them now.

The copy of the one I received from a fan was a little more elaborate, but the same idea. This one leaned heavily on religion, promised blessings, and asked for prayers and help, claiming that I was seriously ill, didn’t have the money to pay for medical care, and was asking my fans to send me all their bank information, and to send me money. It annoyed me that they were leaning heavily and abusively on religion, and preying on my fans. But I suppose nothing is sacred to people who are trying to perpetrate a scam, and get money out of innocent victims. I am hoping that anyone who receives it will be savvy enough, and have received enough letters like it, not to take it seriously, or respond to it. Whoever sent it put my name at the end. And it does upset me that anyone would abuse my fans’ and readers’ sympathy and concern for me in that way. I hope none of you received it, but if you did, please know that it is a scam, and I am alive and well, and DON’T want your bank information, nor for you to send money—–(-just keep reading my books!!!!) Seriously, I’m truly sorry if you got that email!!!

It’s sad that there are such dishonest people in the world, preying on others, often innocent people who believe what they’ve been told, and respond to it in good faith. Scams of all kinds are as old as the world, and now the Internet has become a useful tool for people like that, and allows them to reach far more people than ever before.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that all is well, and to warn you that there is some dishonest email floating around out there—-and it’s not from me. I hope that all is well with you, and that the fall is off to a great start. It’s hard to believe that it’s already October. It’ll be Halloween soon, I started thinking about buying pumpkins today…..and before we know it, it will be Thanksgiving….and then Christmas. The time flies by too fast!!! I have three books coming out at the end of this month, which is exciting news for me. A hardcover novel called “Winners”, a little non fiction book “Pure Joy” about our family dogs over the years, and some dog-owning advice after all the dogs we’ve had—it has my 2 pound white long haired teacup Chihuahua, Minnie Mouse, on the cover!!! And the paperback of my non fiction book about working on the streets with the homeless for eleven years. It’s a wide assortment of topics, and I hope you enjoy all three. All three will be out on October 29th….And in the meantime, watch out for scams!!!

love, danielle

PS: My publisher Random House is adding this message to their Facebook page for me. Please heed it!! Neither they nor I want money from you for charity. And we don’t want anyone ‘scamming’ you!!! love,d.

Please be advised that the ONLY Facebook page officially representing Danielle Steel is this one; her only official websites are DanielleSteel.com and DanielleSteel.net. Danielle Steel and Random House, Inc. do not solicit money or other items of value from fans in any media, including direct emails, and explicitly advise against entertaining such requests that purport to be made in the author’s or publisher’s names.