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.
