Self-Publishing and Deception: Jon’s Heartbreaking Story Sheds Light on the Surge of AI-Enhanced Book Scams

After eight years of rigorous work, Jon Cocks has crafted his debut historical novel, Angel of Aleppo. The narrative draws inspiration from his wife’s grandmother, a notable survivor of the Armenian genocide in the early 20th century. This undertaking represents a heartfelt tribute, honed from countless hours of meticulous research and firsthand accounts.

Cocks, a retired high school teacher from South Australia, is intimately aware of the significance that family stories and historical accuracy bring to his writing. This emotional weight, however, has left him susceptible to exploitation.

A worrying trend has emerged over the past year: scams that leverage artificial intelligence to prey on aspiring authors. These fraudulent schemes, reminiscent of older scams, primarily originate from regions like South Asia, the Philippines, and Nigeria, targeting individuals with dreams of literary success rather than romantic aspirations.

Unfortunately, Cocks has fallen victim to this wave of deceit, losing nearly A$10,000 in just six months.

The enticement wasn’t just empty praise; the scam artists framed Cocks’ work with political and moral significance. They argued that the years he devoted to creating his narrative warranted a larger audience and that their marketing strategies would successfully achieve that global reach.

“I honestly thought these people were genuine,” he expresses. “I feel a mix of anger and frustration, then I calm myself down. At 70, I try to avoid stress.”

The New Age of Scams

Deception in literature isn’t novel; it predates the advent of the printing press. Historical examples, such as the Catholic Church’s fake papal decrees, highlight the long-standing issue of literary fraud. In more recent times, financial greed has played a crucial role in these deceptions, like the fraudulent autobiography of recluse Howard Hughes that garnered its creator over $765,000 in 1970.

The infamous fake Hitler diaries, purchased for exorbitant amounts, exemplify today’s trends in literary scams, where the roles have flipped: writers are the victims, often oblivious to the traps set for them.

Modern scams, particularly those powered by AI, have exploded within the literary community, with self-published authors being their primary target. In a staggering statistic, self-published works surpassed 2.6 million in 2023 against just 563,000 traditionally published titles.

Utilizing AI’s efficiency, scammers can sift through millions of book titles to target low-selling authors, crafting tailored messages at unprecedented speeds.

“While scams have always existed, they were typically straightforward,” remarks Kathryn Goldman, a well-known intellectual property attorney. “Now, AI has amplified their reach, making it simpler to create deceptive website personas and manipulate victims.”

The initial phase often involves flattery; scammers lure aspiring authors through Facebook advertisements and unsolicited communications, promising to turn their self-published work into a bestseller. The final step is clear: pay thousands for a so-called “marketing package” or face disillusionment.

According to Angela Hoy, founder of *Writers Weekly*, a staggering 2,500 scam publishers have been identified within the past year.

The essence of these scams lies in the sale of useless services, such as the promise of “guaranteed bestseller” status and exorbitant fees for non-existent marketing opportunities.

Victims have reported losses ranging from thousands for a billboard placement that never materialized to costly “book returns insurance” schemes aimed at misdirecting funds.

In some of these elaborate cons, individuals impersonate multiple roles within the industry, like a literary agent and a screenplay writer, to manipulate hopeful authors into spending substantial amounts on scripts that don’t exist.

The repercussions of these scams can be devastating, with some authors losing up to $100,000.

Recent reports highlighted a $44 million scam defrauding over 800 elderly authors by promising faux film deals, leading to FBI intervention.

The historical context of long-term scams has transformed, giving way to a high-volume approach that leverages automation in targeting authors en masse.

‘Extortion Demands’

The Australian Society of Authors alerted writers to the rise of AI-driven scams in late 2023, indicating that technological advancements enhance scammers’ abilities to send personalized, authentic solicitations.

As their warning highlighted: “The days of easily spotting scams by their poor spelling and impersonal language are long gone.”

Reports revealed numerous fraudulent sites preying on novice writers with enticing offers of publication in exchange for upfront fees. Within 24 hours, at least four identified sites had been shuttered upon investigation.

Additional research by The Guardian revealed a pattern among these scams, often showing ownership linked to Pakistan and domain registrations in Iceland, a tactic employed to disguise their identities.

Concealment tactics used by fraudsters often involve misusing legitimate privacy services to hide their operations. Victoria Strauss, an author tracking these scams, notes that many scammers masquerade as legitimate publishers to issue fake offers.

Such scams take various forms, often leading to payment requests for printing fees or other fabricated expenses. In certain instances, authors report extortion-like demands, such as needing to pay to meet certain standards or to have their books remain available for purchase.

The Cost of a Dream

One vivid memory continues to resonate with Cocks: the day he received the proof copy of *Angel of Aleppo*. His wife, Lilet, captured his joy in a photograph, a wide smile on his face as he held the culmination of years of hard work.

“This was it,” he thinks. “My message to an Australia that has yet to recognize the events of a century ago.” Cocks seeks to shed light on the Armenian diaspora and advocate for acknowledgment of the genocide—an event historically unrecognized by successive Australian governments.

While Cocks’ expertise in teaching helped him craft a compelling narrative, he lacked a grasp of the publishing world’s complexities. He initially invested nearly A$8,000 in professional editing and a production run of 300 copies. Yet, nearly two years post-publication, sales were sluggish at just 250 copies.

Determined, Cocks sought guidance from a reputable self-publishing firm, spending another $4,670 for a revamped cover and a smaller print run of 100 copies. Pleased with the newfound enhancements, he celebrated with an updated Facebook page to promote his book.

But soon afterwards, an onslaught of marketing firms reached out to him, each promising to understand his mission and provide support. Cocks found himself overwhelmed by this sudden attention, each offering genuine excitement for the significance of his work.

Amidst this fervor, he engaged a person using the alias “Mary Brown”, who praised *Angel of Aleppo* for its “historical and emotional weight”. He agreed to a $478.65 service for a book trailer and promotional reviews aimed at enhancing distribution.

Upon receiving a PayPal receipt, Cocks was startled to discover that his payment had actually gone to someone named Dayo Oguntuase. When he received the AI-generated trailer, its appalling quality rendered it unusable. Additionally, attempts to verify if any book clubs took up his novel yielded no results.

Upon receiving glossy, enthusiastic five-star reviews on Goodreads from profiles that appeared suspiciously new, Cocks contacted the platform and had them removed. However, when he sought a refund from “Mary Brown,” all communication ceased.

Later, another individual posing as “Charlotte Hawthorne” reached out, offering marketing services that appeared legitimate. Cocks again complied, paying $1,500 for 50 reviews. But shortly after, he received an email stating his freelancer had been blocked by Upwork due to violations.

Eager to move past the debacle, Cocks regained hope upon getting contacted by a major academic publishing company, Express Publishing. However, it turned out to be a fraudulent operation posing as a prestigious publisher, to which he unwittingly gave $6,700 for unrealistic promises of placement in Barnes & Noble stores.

With his aspirations of reaching 100,000 sales dangling, Cocks felt elation quickly flip to despair when revelations of further payments—such as a $4,000 “author’s license”—began surfacing without any tangible results.

Barnes & Noble and its affiliates will never require payment for publishing or distribution services. This is a scam.

The realization hit hard; this was a third misstep.

‘You Magnificent Fiend …’

Even established figures in publishing find themselves targets, as fraudsters impersonate staff, agents, and service providers from reputable houses. Penguin Random House has alerted writers to over 60 fake sites pretending to represent them, turning to deceptive logos and claims, while Amazon has similarly announced that its Kindle Direct Publishing is a free service that never asks for payment.

At the same time Cocks received correspondence from “Charlotte Hawthorne”, US science fiction writer Jason Sanford encountered a similar situation but instinctively identified the ruse, having already read investigative pieces about the spiking scams.

In a Substack post, Sanford traced an earlier contact back to a suspect’s social media account. They used an alias to set up the facade, which would all potentially lead to fraud.

“The path to publication is often laden with rejection. Such schemes exploit aspiring writers’ emotional investment and desire to share their stories,” reflects author Walter Marsh. “Ironically, usage of language models trained on the works of actual authors—often without permission—leads back to new forms of exploitation.”

The Enablers

The scale of these scams owes much to tech companies and search engines, which often tolerate or even facilitate fraudulent activity, as described by victims. James Walsh, a US-based author, has found that platforms like Facebook enable predatory publishers to thrive, benefiting financially from scam-related advertising.

A recent investigation by Reuters indicated that Meta anticipates earning a substantial portion of its revenue from scam-associated ads, leveraging fraud instead of taking drastic actions against it.

Calls for accountability have prompted new legislative measures aimed at mandating social media platforms to actively combat fraudulent advertising.

As for Jon Cocks, he continues to find himself ensnared by his tormentors. “Sebastian Brown” and “Martin Garratt” are still present, urging him for more payments. One eerie Christmas Day message claimed he had made significant sales ready for payout, with a $4,000 fee needed to release the funds.

Each day begins with the unsettling uncertainty of what scams await him, and pitches from fraudulent marketers flood his inbox.

“Micheal Rollins,” one such scammer, offered a plethora of services but inadvertently included an internal instruction in their email suggesting manipulation of responses to Cocks.

Here’s a professional and convincing response you can send to Jon; it covers all concerns and seems credible.

Cocks desires regulation, but his experiences have led him to believe that in the fast-evolving landscape of AI, the internet may no longer be subject to proper oversight. Despite everything, he remains determined to compile evidence against the scams that have plagued him.

“I am steadfast in my resolve,” he affirms. “I won’t stop; those who perpetrate these scams will just be footnotes in history.”