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Scambait
Ever since his grandma squandered the family fortune to two-bit hucksters from “Microsoft Tech Support,” corporate do-little Eric Amundsen has spent his workdays wasting the time of Nigerian princes and car warranty salesmen everywhere.
But when Eric’s supposedly long-deceased father contacts him through his spam folder, Eric—whose workday mantra isn’t exactly “solutions-oriented”—has serious problems to solve.
Distracted by the slew of emails from the person who claims to be his father, Eric’s scambaiting shenanigans become increasingly careless, jeopardizing his personal life and his livelihood. As his problems pile up, Eric must choose: turn to a stranger on the internet to get his life back on track or embrace utter destitution?
An irreverent exploration of self-image and found family, SCAMBAIT is the latest full-length novel from International Book Awards finalist Ryan R. Campbell.
But when Eric’s supposedly long-deceased father contacts him through his spam folder, Eric—whose workday mantra isn’t exactly “solutions-oriented”—has serious problems to solve.
Distracted by the slew of emails from the person who claims to be his father, Eric’s scambaiting shenanigans become increasingly careless, jeopardizing his personal life and his livelihood. As his problems pile up, Eric must choose: turn to a stranger on the internet to get his life back on track or embrace utter destitution?
An irreverent exploration of self-image and found family, SCAMBAIT is the latest full-length novel from International Book Awards finalist Ryan R. Campbell.
328 pages, Paperback
Published April 18, 2022
10 people want to read
About the author
Ryan R. Campbell
2 books8 followersRyan R. Campbell is an author, speaker, and software engineer whose work as R.R. Campbell has earned him accolades including finalist placement in the International Book Awards and acclaim from New York Times bestselling authors.
He is the founder of the Writescast Network and the co-founder of Kill Your Darlings Candle Company. Previously, he taught for the University of Wisconsin’s Division of Continuing Studies in Writing, and he is a regular speaker at conferences throughout Wisconsin and beyond.
Ryan lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his wife, Lacey, and their cats, Hashtag and Rhaegar.
He is the founder of the Writescast Network and the co-founder of Kill Your Darlings Candle Company. Previously, he taught for the University of Wisconsin’s Division of Continuing Studies in Writing, and he is a regular speaker at conferences throughout Wisconsin and beyond.
Ryan lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his wife, Lacey, and their cats, Hashtag and Rhaegar.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 18, 2022
This book (ARC) was sent to me, as I am a big fan of Campbell's small collection "And Ampersand." Scambait is a much different book and admittedly not my preferred genre, but I still enjoyed immersing myself in Campbell's witty, well-written prose.
In a nutshell: Scambait is every bit like loving Deadpool—you know it's never going to go well or have a deep purpose, but it's going to be wildly hilarious the entire way.
To expand: I enjoyed the voice of the main character, Eric, more than any other aspect of the book. No matter what was happening, I could count on a clever line to arrive at just the right moment to sarcastically drench the scene with self-aware deprecation. Eric is a protagonist who doesn't even pretend everything will be okay. Rather, he embraces how screwed up his life is and decides to ride the wave wherever it takes him. The blurb does an excellent job of detailing the plot, which is why I am highlighting here the other lovable aspects, like the inevitable crashes (yes, there are multiple, but that's not a spoiler when you know Eric) that hook the reader into reading how Eric will dig himself out of the grave next. In the end, the journey mattered to me as a reminder that no matter how horrible life becomes sometimes, there are always new twists and people to bring us to a place we didn't expect.
I highly recommend this book to lovers of sarcasm, Deadpool-esque drama, and anyone who loves absurd action movie tension brought into a realistically small life.
Might not be your cup of tea if you are the opposite of the above or don't typically connect with male dominant action stories. I prefer more female rep in what I read (as a queer woman), so I decided on 4 stars for a strictly reader-based rating. But definitely 5 star for execution. The book is very successfully what it intends to be.
In a nutshell: Scambait is every bit like loving Deadpool—you know it's never going to go well or have a deep purpose, but it's going to be wildly hilarious the entire way.
To expand: I enjoyed the voice of the main character, Eric, more than any other aspect of the book. No matter what was happening, I could count on a clever line to arrive at just the right moment to sarcastically drench the scene with self-aware deprecation. Eric is a protagonist who doesn't even pretend everything will be okay. Rather, he embraces how screwed up his life is and decides to ride the wave wherever it takes him. The blurb does an excellent job of detailing the plot, which is why I am highlighting here the other lovable aspects, like the inevitable crashes (yes, there are multiple, but that's not a spoiler when you know Eric) that hook the reader into reading how Eric will dig himself out of the grave next. In the end, the journey mattered to me as a reminder that no matter how horrible life becomes sometimes, there are always new twists and people to bring us to a place we didn't expect.
I highly recommend this book to lovers of sarcasm, Deadpool-esque drama, and anyone who loves absurd action movie tension brought into a realistically small life.
Might not be your cup of tea if you are the opposite of the above or don't typically connect with male dominant action stories. I prefer more female rep in what I read (as a queer woman), so I decided on 4 stars for a strictly reader-based rating. But definitely 5 star for execution. The book is very successfully what it intends to be.
May 13, 2022
Well, this was an unexpectedly fun book to pick up last minute. I wasn't sure what I was getting into because I am a bit of a cover snob, but I couldn't resist the title as watching scam baiters on YouTube is a really fun hobby my husband has and I get sucked into watching with him more often than not.
So this book mirrors a lot of what I see on those channels. Recordings of people scamming the scammers. But there's an added mystery involved and the result is a mix of Janet Evanovich fun and chaos, John Scalzi nerdiness and wit, and just plain old-fashioned chaos.
I really hope Campbell writes more books like this. It was a very quick read and I didn't put it down from start to finish. Highly recommend if, like me, you enjoy zany, hilarious, nerdy reads.
So this book mirrors a lot of what I see on those channels. Recordings of people scamming the scammers. But there's an added mystery involved and the result is a mix of Janet Evanovich fun and chaos, John Scalzi nerdiness and wit, and just plain old-fashioned chaos.
I really hope Campbell writes more books like this. It was a very quick read and I didn't put it down from start to finish. Highly recommend if, like me, you enjoy zany, hilarious, nerdy reads.
March 21, 2023
I sometimes choose to pick up a book by an author I have not heard of, with a topic that I do not usually encounter, and have fun with it. This was one such case.
Scambait is a very interesting take on a topic that has reared its head multiple times in the last few years (more than in previous years, to my knowledge). Our lead protagonist improves his daily job by spending time talking to phishers who send out random emails. He then gets details from them and reports their accounts to the banks. This is not a spoiler because it is pretty much in the first few pages of the book. My parents had a near miss with such fraudsters, who sent a code via WhatsApp with minimal information, asking to scan it to proceed with a digital transaction. My father asked one too many questions, and the man vanished and did not respond to his calls again. There are so many ways even the most digitally aware person can be taken for a ride, and this book covers a lot of them.
You cannot but feel for Eric Amundsen as he lives his almost lonely life, taking care of his grandmother's rescue dog. Into the mix, a blast from the past makes contact and throws his routine into chaos. He misses a step or two, and then things cascade into an actual adventure where his very life may be in danger.
The writing is simple and to the point, just emotional enough to make Eric feel like a real person who is out of his depth after a point and clearly in need of a break.
I highly recommend this to readers who want to try a different story with a small cast of people who all contribute significantly to the chaos in the narrative.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
Scambait is a very interesting take on a topic that has reared its head multiple times in the last few years (more than in previous years, to my knowledge). Our lead protagonist improves his daily job by spending time talking to phishers who send out random emails. He then gets details from them and reports their accounts to the banks. This is not a spoiler because it is pretty much in the first few pages of the book. My parents had a near miss with such fraudsters, who sent a code via WhatsApp with minimal information, asking to scan it to proceed with a digital transaction. My father asked one too many questions, and the man vanished and did not respond to his calls again. There are so many ways even the most digitally aware person can be taken for a ride, and this book covers a lot of them.
You cannot but feel for Eric Amundsen as he lives his almost lonely life, taking care of his grandmother's rescue dog. Into the mix, a blast from the past makes contact and throws his routine into chaos. He misses a step or two, and then things cascade into an actual adventure where his very life may be in danger.
The writing is simple and to the point, just emotional enough to make Eric feel like a real person who is out of his depth after a point and clearly in need of a break.
I highly recommend this to readers who want to try a different story with a small cast of people who all contribute significantly to the chaos in the narrative.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
July 27, 2022
Eric is a foreign liaison for a bank to South America, but he spends most of his days responding to scammers that contact him through his email one day while going through his spam he sees an email from someone claiming to be his dad. Eric however thinks his father is dead but he can’t seem to delete the email and when he responds and eventually meet him it will change the whole course of that works life. I only did a brief summary for the book cost so much of what happens isn’t stated in the book summary and it made for much better reading. Let me just say this book is funny and I mean hilariously funny it’s a reference on so many levels and he even has a dog named Boulder. Who doesn’t love a book with the main character has a pet dog. I love this book I love the admiration he had for his grandma I just love the book I don’t know what more I could say except if you like funny books with great plots then you definitely need to read scam bait. Eric cannot stand a scammer and not just the virtual ones. If he feels he is being scammed he puts them on his list and although the List is long so is Eric’s memory. He wants to make them pay especially after what they did to his beloved grandma. I loved this book and highly recommend it. I received it from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review. All opinions are definitely my own.
May 23, 2022
“It’s rare to get a call from the dead – an email rarer still”. Eric Amundsen believes that his father died many years ago when he was young and that he was himself in some way responsible. Now, since the death of his grandmother several months ago, Eric had devoted all his time, to trying to waste the time and resources and generally obstruct scammers like the ones who scammed his grandmother out of all her money i.e., to scam bait them. Unfortunately, this means that he was not doing the work he was being paid for. When he receives am e-mail which claims to be from his father, he is suspicious but curious enough to want to know more. While the start of the story immediately grabbed my attention the next few chapters were almost stressful as we see Eric’s life fall apart as his scam baiting starts to have serious consequences on his life. As Eric tries to unravel the mystery of his father and to rescue the dog that he inherited from his grandmother and which has now been kidnapped, he meets pet shop worker Adriana and soon they are working together to understand events impacting both their lives. The interactions between Adriana and Eric are great and there are some very funny moments in this story. It is an exciting story with many twists and turns, and I found myself really rooting for Eric and Adriana to triumph. This was a gripping and enjoyable read.
April 21, 2022
Fast-paced and laugh out loud witty, Campbell entertains the reader with a protagonist I won’t soon forget. I’m a sucker for an anti-hero who takes on the world, while realizing his life is in shambles and looks to be heading downward.
Eric Amundsen, an amateur vigilante, is hell-bent on avenging his grandmother, the victim of an online scam that resulted in her spending the remainder of her life in a Wisconsin nursing home instead of the idyllic warmth of Arizona. At her demise, his financial inheritance lost to scammers, he gets only her St. Bernard, Boulder, who suffers from massive gastrointestinal issues. As life throws one obstacle after another at Amundsen, including a supposedly dead father, he responds with sarcasm, self-deprecating humor, cleverness, and finally courage and conviction.
I highly recommend this book—it’s engaging enough to be difficult to put down. You might, however, want to read Scambait alone to avoid the quizzical glances of others as you chuckle aloud.
Eric Amundsen, an amateur vigilante, is hell-bent on avenging his grandmother, the victim of an online scam that resulted in her spending the remainder of her life in a Wisconsin nursing home instead of the idyllic warmth of Arizona. At her demise, his financial inheritance lost to scammers, he gets only her St. Bernard, Boulder, who suffers from massive gastrointestinal issues. As life throws one obstacle after another at Amundsen, including a supposedly dead father, he responds with sarcasm, self-deprecating humor, cleverness, and finally courage and conviction.
I highly recommend this book—it’s engaging enough to be difficult to put down. You might, however, want to read Scambait alone to avoid the quizzical glances of others as you chuckle aloud.
April 17, 2022
Another fabulous story from Campbell. The main character, Eric, is a potentially unlikeable guy who slacks at his job but does so for the greater good as he spends his time battling internet scammers instead. An unlikely hero, to be sure, but we’re rooting for him to win just the same. I loved the fast pace of this story and, of course, things just keep getting worse and worse for this guy—life is unfair, curve balls keep coming his way—and still he perseveres (with a little help from a new-found friend.) This is a wild ride with a carefully constructed plot—that brings us deep into the modern-day problem of internet scammers and might make you ask, “What if I didn’t just hit delete on those emails and decided to fight back, instead?”
February 27, 2022
This is a book that steps on the gas early on and never lets up. There are numerous moving parts, established right from the first chapter and that just keep coming, that link together masterfully to make a truly memorable story. It has sweet justice, bitter injustice, comedy, emotionally-resonate drama, a big ol’ dog, and profoundly human characters. These things and more make for a journey that, at times, left me guessing. That at times had me fervently trying to connect the dots. That had me feeling morose, or hopeful, or dreadful. That had me cheering for the remarkably rounded protagonist. That honest-to-god made my jaw drop.
To put it simply: This book is GOOD.
To put it simply: This book is GOOD.
March 18, 2022
SCAMBAIT by Ryan Campbell will take the reader into the dark world of internet scams through the gripping account of Eric as he works to interfere with their schemes. His efforts backfire. He loses his job and struggles with questions about his father’s abandonment and betrayal. The writing is fast-paced with intense action scenes that will force the reader to keep turning the page. This enthralling story will open eyes to how internet scammers are able to con people out of their money and steal their identities. The masterfully woven plot will keep the reader guessing right up until the well-earned climax.
May 16, 2022
I received this book asan ARC from the publisher & NetGalley.
The title and description had me very excited to read this.
Then I started reading it. Loved the beginning, dealing with all the lousy scammers online.
But then it just started getting weird and scattered all over.
Also, I couldn’t get out of my mind one of the characters, Adrienne - the overwhelming similarity to another literary character written so much more convincingly: Holly Gibney
Appears as if there will be other books in this series. ado we care enough about the characters? We’ll see.
The title and description had me very excited to read this.
Then I started reading it. Loved the beginning, dealing with all the lousy scammers online.
But then it just started getting weird and scattered all over.
Also, I couldn’t get out of my mind one of the characters, Adrienne - the overwhelming similarity to another literary character written so much more convincingly: Holly Gibney
Appears as if there will be other books in this series. ado we care enough about the characters? We’ll see.
June 2, 2022
I'd give this book a 3.5 rounded down to 3 because really...I wasn't left feeling much at the end. It wasn't satisfying enough for me, honestly, especially how much build up there was about revenge and justice. I will admit, the MC, Eric, did grow on me, just because of how he handled how much shit came his way. Adriana also grew on me, and I'd liked to have seen a bit more of her. I nearly gave up with this book at the start and while I persevered, I can't say it was exactly to my taste.
August 17, 2022
What happens when your father comes back from the dead and he’s a bigger scammer than you are? This funny, clever tale with flawed characters that rise to the occasion gives new meaning to “like father like son.” Who knew scambaiting could be so fun! As a big fan of Ryan’s work (Empathy Series - Sci-fi & And Ampersand - short stories) I was thrilled to see him take on a new genre and knock it out of the park.
April 29, 2022
What a book!
Smart, intriguing, humorous...I loved it! A great read filled with plot twists that kept me glued to the page! There were times where I laughed out loud, there were times when I gasped in surprise. And for readers from or familiar with the Madison, WI area, it's filled with all sorts of references we all recognize!
A really fun book, highly recommend!
Smart, intriguing, humorous...I loved it! A great read filled with plot twists that kept me glued to the page! There were times where I laughed out loud, there were times when I gasped in surprise. And for readers from or familiar with the Madison, WI area, it's filled with all sorts of references we all recognize!
A really fun book, highly recommend!
May 30, 2022
Eric spends most of his time wasting the time of email scammers and is suddenly contacted by his supposedly long-dead father. Things start going wrong for him everywhere, his job, his dog, his car, and he has to turn to his father for help. This was good, a little chaotic. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.
May 14, 2022
Eric spends his days “scambaiting” scammers by wasting their time and messing with them. One day an email from an unusual scammer claiming to be his long-deceased father hits his spam folder. Eric’s journey to scambait his dead dad leads to unexpected results.
June 24, 2022
A fun, light read. It also has a interesting plot that kept me engaged. I hope the author continues to write. Recommended.
I really appreciate the free review copy for review!!
I really appreciate the free review copy for review!!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews