Useful list of scam sites

[Rowena, Group Owner]

Useful blog about what to do if you sign up for a scam site before you realize that it cannot be legal, and that if they are ripping off authors, they will have no compunction about ripping off credit card "subscribers".

http://filescams.blogspot.com/

[Rowena, Group Owner]

Some of the sites that authors need not worry about, but that readers should avoid.

latestdownloads.net
nowdownloadall.com
idownloadaccess.com
idownloadunlimited.com
inowdownload.com

downloadaccess.net
deluxe-downloads.com
download-mart.com
downloadprovider.net
baydownloads.com

files-express.com
filez-express.com
myfiles-express.com
mediafiles-express.com
files-netexpress.com
expertload.com
download-zzz.com
onestopdownloads.com
fastdownloadarchive.com

downloadprofessional.com
warezaccess.com
downloadkeeper.com
filefortune.com
filefixation.com

downloadnova.com

10xdownloads.com

[Rowena, Group Owner]

Places to complain about being ripped off, or simply to enjoy the misery of others.

http://www.websiteoutlook.com/
http://www.siteadvisor.com/
http://safeweb.norton.com/
http://www.ripoffreport.com/
http://www.complaintsboard.com/
http://www.mywot.com/
http://www.scam.com/
http://www.complaints.com/
http://www.sitejabber.com/
http://measuredup.com/
http://www.scamfound.com/
http://complaintwire.org/

[L.J.]

I wonder if these rip-off artists might not succeed where we fail in killing the pirates.

[Joe]

It serves the people trying to get something for nothing right if they get scammed. Greed has always been the conman's best friend.

[Rowena, Group Owner]

I think that it is good to get the word out about some of the scam sites.

One of the reasons that I am a copyright activist is that I am deeply offended on a moral level by the "wrongness" of copyright infringement, and the harm it does to debut- and below-mid-list authors.

Therefore, I am not about to wish harm on innocent readers who are taken in by the barrage of legitimate-seeming (but not!!!) offers of free e-books.

I'd prefer to hope that there is a deterrent effect in simply hearing the rumors that many of these "subscription" sites not only rip off the authors, but also rip off subscribers.

It makes sense that they would do so. But only if the reader is aware that the e-books being offered are being illegally shared in the first place.

How is a reader to know? Libraries legally lend e-books free. If an online site claims to be a sort of subscription library, how does a trusting person discern that it may be a scam?

Some publishers legally give away free reads. Amazon does so! (Legally, with the consent of the publishers and/or authors.)

The proverbial waters are impossibly muddied.