In South Africa, journalist reports on suspected AI scams targeting authors
In South Africa, Daily Maverick journalist Caryn Dolley reported receiving unsolicited emails from people posing as literary agents, publishers and representatives of book promotion platforms. Such messages may contain excessive praise, corporate-looking addresses and signs of the use of generative artificial intelligence, Daily Maverick reports.
Dolley said she began receiving such offers after her fifth book about organised crime was published on 17 August 2026. In one case, a contact offered an interview on an online platform and asked her to send an electronic copy of the book or two chapters. After the journalist asked about the terms of work, the platform reported author packages costing from $99 to $305.
The author stressed that she cannot prove that this particular platform is fraudulent. At the same time, according to Dolley's observations, its website was created only a few months ago and contained many AI-generated images.
Imitation of publishers
According to the publication, scammers may imitate the addresses of real publishing houses and agents by changing just one letter in a domain name. Dolley received emails purportedly sent by Acre Books and Atlantic Books. Both publishers have publicly warned authors about cases in which third parties pose as their editors or employees and send unexpected offers.
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Cheryl Davis, general counsel of the US organisation Authors Guild, told Daily Maverick that over the course of the year, the organisation noticed an increase in reports about such schemes. According to her, the combination of email and generative AI allows attackers to send out convincing-looking materials in bulk more quickly, as well as create websites that give offers an appearance of legitimacy.
Paid-service schemes
Victoria Strauss, a representative of the industry project Writer Beware, noted that alongside marketing offers, schemes involving book clubs, reviews and impersonation of industry representatives are spreading. Their aim may be to steer authors toward paid editing or promotion services. Such schemes rely on mass mailings, since scammers need to deceive only a small share of recipients.
In the United States, in May 2026, Philippine citizen Michael Chris Traya Sordilla pleaded guilty in a case connected to a scheme involving fictitious book publishing or screen adaptations. According to the US prosecutor's office, he admitted participating in a conspiracy that caused more than $48 million in losses to over 800 victims through fictitious entities.
Authors are advised to check the websites and contacts of those sending offers, carefully verify domain names, treat unexpected emails with caution and report suspicious messages to email services. If money is lost, they should contact their bank and the police.
