You have just posted about your new book when a message pings in. The sender gushes about your work, says they adore your writing, thinks your story deserves a global audience, and offers to promote it to thousands of readers. It feels flattering, maybe even exciting. But lately, these are exactly the messages that should make you pause.
Across social media and author websites, a wave of scammers is targeting writers, using artificial intelligence to make their messages sound authentic and personal. They often reference your book title, your genre, or even specific phrases from existing reviews, all scraped from your online presence. The emails and direct messages look polished and convincing, at least at first glance.
Here is an example of one of the messages I received recently through my website:
“Mary, let’s be real, 'Hindsight: Echoes Through Time' isn’t just a novel. It’s a psychological kaleidoscope disguised as fiction. The way you fuse Catherine’s modern chaos with Merwynn’s ninth-century defiance is nothing short of alchemy. You didn’t just write about time; you made it loop, whisper and bleed through every page. Reading it feels like being possessed by history. ...
I’m not a ‘marketing guru’, just a caffeine-addicted book lover who helps brilliant authors get seen. I run a private community of over 2,000 real readers who actually read and leave authentic reviews. No bots, no fluff, just thoughtful feedback from people who love discovering hidden gems like 'Hindsight'.
Would you let me introduce your book to our reviewer community and finally give it the chorus it deserves instead of a polite golf clap?”
On the surface it sounds flattering and genuine, doesn’t it? The message feels personal and convincing - even complimentary about my writing. But that is what makes it dangerous. In my own experience, after replying to a couple of these messages (just to see how the scam unfolds), the follow-up emails quickly fell apart. The next email revealed the catch: a “$25 tip” for each of the supposed readers who would review my book. The tone changed, the writing became clumsy and full of repetition and grammatical errors, a clear sign that the original was AI-generated. The promised reviews would likely never appear, and the “tip” of $25 per reader (multiplied by thousands of supposed members) wouldn’t be refunded.
This scam, sometimes referred to as the “tipped reviewer” scam, has become increasingly common in 2024 and 2025. The same pattern repeats: a flattering message, a modest-sounding payment request, and a sudden disappearance once the money changes hands. Some scammers even create fake websites or Discord groups filled with AI-generated profiles to make their “reader communities” look real.
As writers, we are particularly vulnerable because we are constantly promoting our work and hoping to reach new readers. The scammers know this. They play on our desire to connect, to be seen, to be read.
Here are some simple ways to keep yourself safe:
- Pause before replying. Flattery clouds judgment. Take a breath and look at the message with fresh eyes.
- Check for clues. Search for the sender’s name online. Do they have a real web presence? Are their followers genuine? Are their photos AI-generated (you can often tell by odd lighting or blurred backgrounds)?
- Ask questions. Who are they? What exactly do they offer? How do they choose books? Genuine organisations are transparent, while scammers avoid details.
- Watch for inconsistency. If the first message reads smoothly but later ones are full of spelling errors and repetitive phrasing, that is a strong indicator the first was AI-written.
- Never pay upfront. Real readers do not charge authors to review books, and legitimate marketing services will not cold-contact you asking for money.
- When in doubt, ask us. This is exactly why The Book Whisperers exists. If you are unsure about a message, take a screenshot and send it to our Membership Manager, Ethan. He will be happy to take a look and advise you. Keeping our community safe is part of our mission, and you are never on your own here.
The best protection we have as writers is each other. Peer-to-peer support with real people - authors and writers that you get to know - means no one has to feel foolish for asking a question or for being caught off-guard by a clever scam. These messages are getting more sophisticated, and anyone can be fooled, even experienced authors.
So, if a stranger appears online brimming with praise and promising easy success, treat it as you would a too-perfect character in a novel: approach with healthy scepticism until they prove themselves real. And remember, there is no such thing as a paid shortcut to genuine readership.
Mary Turner Thomson is an international best-selling author, writing coach and publishing consultant. She specialises in helping people tell their stories, and is passionate about not victim-shaming, including not victim-shaming ourselves. She is also the author of two true-crime memoirs and a novel about resilience.