News for Authors

One of the most exciting milestones in any writer’s career is the moment an editor reaches out with genuine interest in their work. Many writers dream of having a major publishing house validate their efforts in this way. Unfortunately, bad actors in the digital space are well aware of this dream, and they are increasingly using it to take advantage of writers.

Recently, we have seen a significant rise in large-scale phishing scams specifically targeting authors. In these sophisticated campaigns, scammers impersonate real Penguin Random House editors or other employees to solicit personal information, manuscripts, or even money.

Read on to learn how this scam operates, the red flags to watch out for, and the steps you should take to protect yourself and your work.

Understanding the Scam

The premise of these phishing attempts is simple but effective: An author receives an unsolicited email, usually from someone claiming to be a senior editor, executive editor, or editorial director at a specific Penguin Random House imprint. They often use the names of real PRH employees to make the outreach appear legitimate.

The message is usually highly flattering. They might mention that your work recently came to their attention, praising the clarity of your narrative voice or the purpose behind your storytelling. In some cases, they will reference the specific title of an essay you published or an earlier work, claiming you would be a strong fit for their publishing program. From there, they will ask about your representation status or invite you to an informal conversation about future projects.

In the below example, the scammer targets an author’s specific works using a flattering, likely AI-generated summary from their website.

While the initial email may seem harmless—even incredibly exciting—it is the bait. Once an author engages, the scammer will eventually attempt to extract sensitive personal information or demand fraudulent “evaluation” or “publishing” fees, completely counter to how traditional publishing operates. To be clear: No one at PRH will ever ask for money up-front when working toward acquiring a new title.

How to Recognize a Scam

We know that determining the authenticity of an email can be confusing, especially when scammers are going to great lengths to mimic professional correspondence. Here are a few reliable ways to spot an impersonation scam before you reply.

• Check the sender’s email address carefully. This is the single most important step you can take. Scammers will often use free personal email services to conduct their business. We will never reach out to you from a personal email address. If you receive an email from a PRH employee using a Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook address, it is a scam.
• Beware of spoofed custom domains. To appear more sophisticated, some scammers will purchase domain names that look official but are slightly off. Two recent examples include scammers sending requests from the email addresses penguinrandomhouse@susannaporter.com or info@rosaschierenbergeditor.co.site.
• Always verify the domain. Official communications from our team will come from a standard @penguinrandomhouse.com or @penguinrandomhouse.co.uk address.
• Watch out for the “private company email” pivot. A common tactic we see in these phishing attempts is a scammer claiming they want to move the conversation to their “private company email” to “ensure faster and more organized communication.” In the corporate publishing world, business is conducted on secure, official business servers. We will never ask you to redirect your pitch to an unsecured external inbox.
• Evaluate the nature of the outreach. While editors do occasionally reach out to unrepresented authors whose work has gained significant traction, it is rare. Be highly skeptical of unsolicited emails that promise traditional publishing deals, especially if they follow up by asking for payment. Traditional publishers pay you for your work; they do not charge you reading fees, editorial fees, or representation retainers. Occasionally, bad actors will claim to be agents employed by PRH. While we do work closely beside agents from acquisition to publication, they are completely external parties to the publishing house.

What to Do If You Receive a Suspicious Email

If an email like this lands in your inbox, the most important rule is not to engage. Do not reply to the sender, do not answer their questions about your literary representation, and absolutely do not click on any links or download any attachments included in the message.

Instead, report the incident immediately. By sharing these fraudulent emails with us, you help our security teams track these campaigns and take action to protect the broader writing community. Please forward the email in its entirety to portaladmin@penguinrandomhouse.com and fraud@penguinrandomhouse.com.

As an author, your intellectual property and your peace of mind are invaluable. We remain committed to ensuring you have the information you need to navigate this industry safely. By staying vigilant and knowing what to look out for, you can keep your focus exactly where it belongs: on crafting your next great story.

Phil Stamper-Halpin is Director of Author Development at Penguin Random House.