Readers Groups Scams > Likes and Comments

Just got conned out of $200 by two people claiming to be part of a large goodreads readers group with the promise to get my new book noticed, and possibly reviewed by thousands of readers. I few like a complete idiot. I should have spent more time on goodreads before being so gullible.

Michael wrote: "Just got conned out of $200 by two people claiming to be part of a large goodreads readers group with the promise to get my new book noticed, and possibly reviewed by thousands of readers. I few li..."

Every author, sooner or later, falls into these kinds of traps. We write because we want someone to read us, and we want someone to love what we have written. You shouldn’t worry too much. These people have no passions of their own, so they exploit the passions of others. Thank you for warning the rest of us as well. Unfortunately, it probably won’t save us from our own moments of weakness. Still, no great harm done. After all, tomorrow is another day.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/genre-g...

Please report this to Goodreads and if this was conducted via Paypal, there's a chance you can get your money back.

Don't feel bad, Michael. I once got scammed by a fake agent who wasted a year of my time. She had me send my book to publishers who had no idea who I was or why I was submitting my work. Also, I lost $300. Eventually, she and her crooked husband got arrested and charged with theft by deception. The cops found over 400 unpublished scripts in her office from countries all over the world. Most weren't even opened. That's when I gave up on agents and self published my 3 books on Amazon. I wasn't even so much mad about the money as I was that she wasted my time when I could have been looking for a real agent.

I've also been getting the same emails you got. It's monotonous now. I know they're fake when they address me as "Hello Reggie13chip" instead of my name. I just block or send them to spam and trash.

Last year I kept hearing from some guy in the UK saying that some radio host wanted to interview me about one of my books, but I would have to pay him $999! Yeah right! I don't think so!!!!! I told him to take a hike!

Anyway, good luck with your book and don't feel bad. Publishing is a live and learn business and we all get scammed at some point.

I also highly recommend following the Writer Beware site as they keep folks informed and up to date on the latest con jobs that are targeting authors:

https://writerbeware.blog/

Liz wrote: "I also highly recommend following the Writer Beware site as they keep folks informed and up to date on the latest con jobs that are targeting authors:

https://writerbeware.blog/" Thank you, that was very helpful.

Michael wrote: "Just got conned out of $200 by two people claiming to be part of a large goodreads readers group with the promise to get my new book noticed, and possibly reviewed by thousands of readers. I few li..."

Foucault's Pendulum was the first book by Umberto Eco that I read, before The Name of the Rose. It is a concentrated blend of medieval history and a gripping thriller. With ruthless irony, it also portrays the world of publishing in Italy — and, I believe, throughout the world. I think anyone who has written a book should read it. For me, it serves as a reminder not to take myself too seriously, and not to take publishers’ promises — or those of self-proclaimed publishers — too seriously. You should read it.

I get 3-5 scam solicitations every day. Reader groups, metadata optimization, video trailers, radio interviews, and so on. All fake. If they ask for money upfront, walk away. If they don’t use your name or your book title it’s fake. If their email is personal and not from the organization they say they represent it’s fake. One clue is extensive use of AI that writes a long email filled with excerpts from your bio and book info from Amazon. Sorry you were duped. Some of these people are very sophisticated

Michael wrote: "Just got conned out of $200 by two people claiming to be part of a large goodreads readers group with the promise to get my new book noticed, and possibly reviewed by thousands of readers. I few li..."

Sorry that happened to you Michael. There's been a lot of scams going on lately and unfortunately Goodreads is no exception. In fact, I received an e-mail on my website from a person claiming to be from a group asking me to join to enter my book in a contest. I actually ended up joining the group and asking the mods if any such request was made and they said no, it was scammers. Jokes on them because now I'm a member of the great group with over 20,000 readers.

Now that you've been scammed, you'll be on higher alert, and you know now to do thorough research and a simple Google search to see if whoever is trying to sell you something is legit. Best of luck to you and I hope that didn't turn you off to this site

Justin wrote:  "... you'll be on higher alert ..."

Helps, but not enough.
They play the percentages.
You don't defeat them with awareness.
It requires attacking them on multiple fronts.
And that presupposes coordination and will.
We fall short in both categories.
So get used to it.
The vermin are here to stay.

Me too Arthur. I get countless emails promising to increase my books profile, etc. I wonder if some of these scammers are actually members of Goodreads.

Michael wrote:  "... I wonder if some of these scammers are actually members of Goodreads."

Of course they're members.

There's one named Reader
with about 100 accounts.

There is no gate keeper,
so why wouldn't they come inside . . .

Michael wrote:  "... I wonder if some of these scammers are actually members of Goodreads."

Update:

Besides the 100 Nigerian accounts named Reader,
there are also 100 Thai accounts named Gift.

Of course that's only 2 data points.
Thing is, I didn't go looking for them.
I just stumbled across them.

Anyone who's worked in tech should know
that if something looks odd, you look into it.
It's probably nothing and you're wasting your time,
except that when it does turn out to be a problem,
repair/recovery will cost a lot more than "looking into it" would.

So if it looks odd, I habitually look a little further.  It's easy.
And all too often, it looks odd because it is odd.

Mods try our best but I suspect the support team is overworked and underfunded. On top of that, because these things tend to come in waves, I get the feeling that support thinks we're being paranoid (I.E. One day I had to report about 6 accounts within an hour. It was all clearly the same person or couple of people trying out alt accounts in an attempt to scam readers in one of the groups) It helps us when regular users point these things out too because I think support gets a sense that hey, there is an actual problem here.

That's just my feel of the situation, though. Could be wrong.

Michael wrote: "Me too Arthur. I get countless emails promising to increase my books profile, etc. I wonder if some of these scammers are actually members of Goodreads."

This is a problem across social media right now, sadly. It isn't Goodreads specific but they could surely do more.

I'm not sure that AI is the answer to this because I've seen AI flag some ridiculous things on other sites that clearly shouldn't have been flagged.

I would appreciate if they just listened to mods more though as we are out here doing this for free because we want to help out the community.

Liz wrote:  "I would appreciate if they just listened to mods more ..."

Agreed.

If we set up a scam-busters group,
would they just ignore it?

Start with a few obvious folders:

    Phony authors.
    Phony ratings.
    Phony reviews.
    Phony accounts.
    Phony offers.
    Death threats.
    Scammer scalp tallies, awards.

Play gets more enthusiasm than does work,
even when the situation is dire.

Liz wrote:  "I would appreciate if they just listened to mods more ..."

And if they still remain detached, we could start a group called

        GR♥SCAMRZ

1) to test whether they prefer the stick to the carrot, and
2) to teach them to respect/fear the dark side of creativity.

Arthur wrote: "I get 3-5 scam solicitations every day. Reader groups, metadata optimization, video trailers, radio interviews, and so on. All fake. If they ask for money upfront, walk away. If they don’t use your..."

I get the same thing, if not more. Also, the fake famous author emails. I've had Daniel Silva, James Patterson and Evie Woods email me, just to name 3. Honestly, I mess with these guys some time. Especially the ones which claim to have read my book but only know the blurb.

Liz wrote: "Mods try our best but I suspect the support team is overworked and underfunded. On top of that, because these things tend to come in waves, I get the feeling that support thinks we're being paranoi..."

Liz, I have been reporting a couple of accounts probably about 10 times and nothing gets done, no investigation, no follow up. It's a shame that they aren't more proactive to these reports.

In the end I've just given up trying to use goodreads these days.

James Doyle wrote: "... and nothing gets done ..."

GR support is behaving like a complaints department.
They look at each report individually, do little or nothing,
and go on to the next, to keep up the "resolved" count.

They have no one looking at the big picture.
No wonder they're swamped.
And going under.

Is there a GR group where authors can share what stuff did work. Th non-scams.

Michael wrote:  "Is there a GR group where authors can share what stuff did work. Th non-scams."

Nuthin to it.

Just change your race and gender,
and switch to writin' romantasy.
Cuz that's what sells, aincha noticed?

Oh, you said non-scams.
So . . . never mind.

Found out why GR is taking no action against all our scammers.

The legal department is too busy suing GOO GOO Hair,
a company that makes hair extensions, and recently came out
with a new line appealing specifically to the Jamaican market.
    GoodReads accuses them of trademark infringement
for calling it GOO Dreads.

So our scammers will just have to wait their turn.

We all have our priorities.
 

And again I woke up and found a "wonderful" threat in my comments. From the user Harold with 0 reviews and private account.

Please "enjoy" the text he sent:
Harold I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE "GALINA" B*TCH. I KNOW YOUR FAMILY TOO. IF YOU DON'T STOP YOUR ONLINE PROMOTIONS INCLUDING WHAT YOU ARE DOING HERE RIGHT NOW, I WILL PERSONALLY COME AND R*PE YOU. IF I DONT LEAVE YOU WITH BLEEDING AND PAINFUL GENITALS AT THIE END OF IT...I AM A HORNY GUY YOU KNOW! THEN I WILL 'TAKE CARE' OF THE REST OF YOUR FAMILY TOO! MY BOSSES HAD WARNED YOU BEFORE BUT YOU ARE NOT LISTENING. LAST WARNING, GET OUT OF GOODREADS AND SOCIAL MEDIA! (less)
7 hours, 22 min ago · delete · flag

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2...

God. I'm so sorry, Galina. I see Goodreads actually responded in a timely fashion on this one, thankfully.

Thank you Liz 🙏 it's the second time now. Actually, I was expecting that it can happen again... But not that fast

Liz wrote: "God. I'm so sorry, Galina. I see Goodreads actually responded in a timely fashion on this one, thankfully."

The GR response is meaningless.
There are hundreds of accounts named "Harold",
most with zero friends and/or zero books.

Goodreads responses are utterly pro forma.
They do only the bare minimum to seem involved.
They provide zero deterrence.

They are utterly feckless.

Galina wrote: "https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2..."

This is what I mean about multiple hatchet accounts.

You received yours from 201231167-harold.
I received mine from 201247051-harold.

Closing individual harold accounts will have no effect.
It is disingenuous – or even deceitful – to pretend otherwise.

Dennis wrote: "Michael wrote:  "Is there a GR group where authors can share what stuff did work. Th non-scams."

Nuthin to it.

Just change your race and gender,
and switch to writin' romantasy.
Cuz that's what s..."

Indeed

Goodreads will do what they can and also as individuals who receive such emails can report it and ignore it as eventually it'll die out.

Justin wrote: "Goodreads will do what they can and also as individuals who receive such emails can report it and ignore it as eventually it'll die out."

Ya, just keep telling yourself that – your own personal mantra.

After enough repetitions, you may even come to believe it.

Despite massive evidence to the contrary.
 

Ok, so I just joined GR this past week and after reading this thread I realize I probably made a huge mistake doing so.

Justin wrote: "Goodreads will do what they can and also as individuals who receive such emails can report it and ignore it as eventually it'll die out."

I received death threats and other things etc. reported to the police and GR's and GR's removed the person, the Police said nothing they can do. Which is odd in this day and age of people being arrested for saying things no where near as bad.

Scotti wrote: "Ok, so I just joined GR this past week and after reading this thread I realize I probably made a huge mistake doing so."

That's a reasonable conclusion for a children's author.

But if you'd care to try your hand in the dystopian market,
you really couldn't ask for a better site for source material.

G.R. wrote:  "... author initials were the same as GoodReads ..."

Ya.

That's just how I felt, first time I walked into a German train station.

            DB = Deutsche Bahn
 

Is this issue just this Goodreads group? or is it happening all throughout the entire platform?

G.R. wrote:  "Is this issue just this Goodreads group? or is it happening all throughout the entire platform?"

It's pervasive.
We are overrun.

There may very well be
fewer genuine accounts
than scammers.

Your expletive here:  _______________
 

Liz,

I received notice of your post to this thread 2 hrs ago,
yet it does not appear.

It would come as no surprise to learn that when GR removes
a user or a post, there is some risk of impairing the thread.

Or one might see this as GR's attempt to silence detractors.

However, combining Occam's Razor with Murphy's Law,
Hanlon's Razor suggests a logical alternative:

                Never posit malice
        where simple incompetence
                    will suffice.

You definitely shouldn’t feel stupid, Michael. The deeper I’ve gotten into the indie author world, the more I’ve realized how widespread these scams and fake “marketing experts” actually are. New authors are especially vulnerable because we care so much about our stories finding readers.

I went through a rough experience myself early on and ended up reporting several suspicious accounts and interactions. It opened my eyes very quickly to how convincing some of these people can sound. I even ended up speaking with a reporter who was investigating scams targeting indie authors because the problem has become so common.

I think the best thing authors can do is exactly what you’re doing now: talk about it openly and help warn others. There are genuine readers and communities out there, but unfortunately there are also people who prey on authors’ hopes and excitement.

You’re definitely not alone in this.

Clara Emerson wrote:  "... because the problem has become so common."

Publishing has always been a racket.  For example,
Mark Twain had some choice things to say about it.

Since it's lately gorging on reviews and ratings,
should we try critiquing our parasites as well?
How many stars should Reedsy get?
I would give D2D 5 stars if there was a way.

Then we could caution our members
to check the approved parasites list
before responding to any come·ons.

None but the informed will survive this era.
And the organized might actually thrive.

Just putting my two cents in. No readers group is going to contact an author for permission to read and review a book. That’s the first clue that it’s a scam. No famous author is going to contact you via email to discuss your book because it moved them. No literary agent is going to drop in, seeking you out for your work. If you receive these phishing attempts, you can do an internet search, find the real book clubs, authors and lit agencies, share the email you got and say, “hey, was this you?” They will say no. Sometimes they will thank you. Sometimes they will ask you to report the fraud attempt. Blocking and Reporting are our best options.

Diane Johnson wrote:  "That’s the first clue that it’s a scam."

Another clue is vagueness.  Even when they use specifics,
they will be gleaned from your own public material, and oddly used.

If you write for its own sake, and publish just to make it available,
and harbor neither expectation nor hope for recognition or income,
you'll be ok.

Otherwise, try to remember that your ambition is your weakness.
It's what makes you a scammer's prey.
 

I get absolutely nothing but scam emails. I have taken to messing with the scammers, asking questions, getting them to reveal their true identities. I have often reported them to the authors or whoever they are impersonating.

I was foolish enough to pay for press releases (my idea) and leave my email. I got a lot of them, I won't say I didn't get that for my money, absolutely worthless however in selling books. Will never do that again. But would it did do is attract every parasite and leach in the seedy world of book scams.

I get so many I've taken to warning them wherever I am posted as an author.

https://daryl-smith.author-pages.com/...

Every one of these turkey's I can discourage hopefully makes life easier for everyone else in the author community.

Daryl Smith wrote:  "I have taken to messing with the scammers, asking questions, getting them to reveal their true identities."

Careful.  We might start calling you Daryl Quixote.

I regret to inform you that the "turkeys" are not at all discouraged.

Diane wrote: "Just putting my two cents in. No readers group is going to contact an author for permission to read and review a book. That’s the first clue that it’s a scam. No famous author is going to contact y..."

Yes! Some days, I get in excess of 100 emails!! I was "in a mood" one day and responded to one, telling her that she wasn't who she claimed to be! She told me I was rude and to GET A LIFE! Of course, I then blocked her email address.

I just here on Goodreads have reached out to someone who "supposedly" sent an email to me. The name, this time, and group actually MATCH here on Goodreads ... and the email doesn't sound robotic. But I still want to check it out! So I sent a friend request to that individual. We'll see where this one actually goes!

So sad that we have to be detectives as well as authors ... LOL!

Donna wrote: "Diane wrote: "Just putting my two cents in. No readers group is going to contact an author for permission to read and review a book. That’s the first clue that it’s a scam. No famous author is goin..."

Right? It’s never ending. And I too have broken down and replied once or twice. I get scammers sometimes thinking I’m a better known author with the same name, and I have told them I’m too busy, and that their suggested fees are outrageous. Then I hit them with an appearance fee, and a suggestion that they can contact my manager if they want to move forward. But we should NOT do this! We should simply block and report.

If anybody would like to help me out and report these two accounts, it would be much appreciated:

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...

Here's another one:

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2...

They started commenting on all the same threads as one of the other accounts I mentioned, minutes after I called them out for being a scammer. Highly suspect it's the same person.

Liz wrote:  "If anybody would like to help me out ..."

Yes.
Always happy to help.
Thank you for asking.