I set a trap for a book-marketing scammer (2025)

A traditionally published sci-fi author received over 50 scam book-marketing pitches in 33 days from fraudsters using generic Gmail addresses and stolen identities, exploiting authors' desperation to boost sales in a struggling publishing industry. The scammers promised social media management, paid reviews, and visibility services that would require selling thousands of additional books just to break even on their fees. The author's experience highlights how predatory these schemes are, especially given that publishers themselves lack the resources to guarantee such marketing results.