Possible Impersonator defrauding authors > Likes and Comments

Hey there, I wish Goodreads hadn't removed the messaging feature because if they didn't, I would write to the mods privately. With the current system, this is the only way to reach moderators of this group.

I'm an author and I've been approached by someone claiming to be "Briana" who mentioned they would like to do a Q&A with me about my writing. 9 times out of 10 these solicitations are NOT a real moderator, and eventually they ask for money. This one hasn't gotten to that stage yet, so I'm writing to see if Briana really did reach out to me - and if not, I'll report the impersonator to google for removal of their fraudulent email.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Somebody else previously tried this with another mod of the group- Bailey. Mods, you really need to make a post and pin it to the top of the page.

Aye, a pinned post about this would be worth doing, in my opinion. The number of emails I get from various "Goodreads" groups - as well as "Meetup groups" from moderator impersonators is high. The fact that there are so many makes me think that a lot of people have fallen for this.

And as expected. They finally came in with the request for cash:

Hi Author Michael,

Thank you for your response! We are thrilled to officially secure a featured read slot for Riyria Revelations

To lock in your dates on our global community calendar and activate our promotion design team, there is a one-time community participation fee of $200.

What this investment covers for your book:

- Guaranteed Visibility: A pinned banner placement at the top of our 70,000-member community dashboard for the entire month.

- Direct Funnels: Permanent redirect links pointing readers straight to your Amazon page and author website to guarantee sales and reviews

- Review Campaigns: Targeted reading threads encouraging active members to drop verified reviews on both Goodreads and Amazon.

Many emerging authors have launched their titles into the bestseller charts through this exact community feature because it puts their book directly in front of thousands of high-intent buyers simultaneously.

Please let me know which payment method works best for you, and I will send over your secure invoice!

Once your participation is confirmed and payment is received, we'll send you the event schedule, promotional timeline, and your dedicated discussion link.

Best regards,
Briana
Addicted to YA

If a mod can confirm that you have no program where you charge authors, I'll send a link to this post when reporting the offending email to google so they can have it removed - although I'm sure they will just create another email - this is very much a game of "wack-a-mole" - but at least we can get this one shut down.

I'm not a mod for this group but I am for another one. There is nothing like this on Goodreads. It's bullshit.