WARNING!

Has your identification been stollen and used without your knowledge?

Or has someone stollen another’s name and photo and used it to deceive you?

I recently received an incredible letter from Lisa Yoskowitz an editor from the Hachette book group. She wanted to represent me and my novels and spoke with details about Flight for Revenge. She loved it!

Lisa’s email address was hachettebookgroup@yahoo.com I googled Hattette Book Group and they were legit! Due diligence I looked up Lisa on LinkedIn. She’s a real person.

Then Lisa wanted to connect me with an agent, because the Haceh require authors to be represented by an agent. She sent me to Henry Y Shepherd. Henry’s email: henryyshepherd@gmail.com I looked him up on Linked in. There he was! This is real!

Henry wanted a query packet. He said that if I needed someone to do that for me, to let him know, he had people. We’ll, I asked a question about the packet, and he copied and pasted the same email to me. When I questioned him, he apologize and explained what he wanted. I sent him a packet with all my published books and a synopsis for each. I did not provide the two works in progress. I did not pay them for a “Professional Service” as I know what they need.

Then the next day Amara Hoshiji from Simon and Schuster sent me an email with interest in Flight to Success that was exactly like the email that came from the editor at Hatchette Book Group. Amara’s email: amarahoshijoedit.simonschuster@gmail.com and her picture was on her email:

Amara Hoshiji is also has a LinkedIn account, and he photo looks exactly like the woman who wrote to me and she works for Simon and Schuster.

If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck…it might just be a duck. All the red flags were up. How do you know if you are being scammed? You don’t always know. But I came up with a great idea.

I asked them all to connect with me on LinkedIn!

Amara said:
“My preference for continuing by email is simply because that is the channel I use for project-related editorial correspondence. It keeps the conversation organized and makes it easier to retain the relevant information, materials, and communications associated with a manuscript.”

When I asked Henry to connect with me on LinkedIn, he said:

“For the moment, I would prefer that we keep our communication centered on the review and representation process. I hope you understand that I like to establish the professional relationship and complete my evaluation of the work before moving into additional arrangements or connections outside of that process.”

And Lisa, well, she just ignored my request.

RED FLAGS:

1. Nobody working for a company will use a “free” email address such as gmail or Yahoo. They would have a company email address.

2. Anybody who is busy, such as agents and editors, will NOT write you three to four paragraphs, unsolicited, telling you how much they love your work and need your business.

3. If you respond to such an email, they would not respond with a similar lengthy email within hours of your reply if it was legit. You are not on their “to do” list.

If you think you are getting scammed asked the person to connect with you on LinkedIn. If they don’t, they are not real. How easy is it to take someone’s picture and their name, create a fake email, and then deceive others. This is a warning to all.

Be careful.