Reblog – Writer Beware: The First Clue to an Email Scam May Be the Address
There seems to be an abundance of scam email preying on people, especially writers. I found this article to be really helpful to me. So I thought it might help you. Even if you are not an author, I believe it may help you from being fooled by emails full of sweetness and honey enticing you to click on their links, or pay for services you may not get or from people who may not be who they say they are. There are plenty of good people out there. Look for them. But watch out before clicking on links or replying to emails that “tell you how totally wonderful their deal is for you.” The article below gives you so much great information to help guide you to safe tactics and calmer moments.
Writer Beware blog: The First Clue to an Email Scam May Be the Address
https://writerbeware.blog/2026/06/30/the-first-clue-to-an-email-scam-may-be-the-address/
I enjoy receiving questions and comments from you. You can also leave a comment on the Writer Beware blog post.
Sincerely,
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
There are a TON out there. I’ve been the victim of one and should have checked the email address. Thanks for posting this.
Dear Carol,
Thank you for writing. You are absolutely right. There are a ton of.scam emails out there. I am sorry you got scammed. God says in Joel 2:25-32
“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming [a]locust has eaten,” in other words, what the enemy has taken away from you I will restore.
Do something that makes you smile.
Never Give Up
Joan
.
Thank you for this, Joan. Your readers will also be interested in my take on this issue at https://wp.me/p3Xihq-3CE
I have titled my guest post at Authors Publish as “Promotion Commotion.”
Dear Bob,
Thank you for writing. Thank you for sharing a link to your blog post about scamming. We have to be vigilant. There are more good people than bad. Just sometimes, we seem to run into more of the ones who are out to deceive us.
Believe in you!
Never Give Up
Joan
I’ve gotten them from people pretending to be famous authors and others who want to promote my books through their reading clubs. I mark them all as spam or leave them in my junk folder until they’re deleted after a certain amount of time.
Dear Melanie,
Thank you for writing.
I am glad you figured out that those emails were probably scammers.
I wish you much continued success with your books.
Never Give Up
Joan
Thanks for posting this link to WriterBeware! I thought they had closed or stopped sharing so I’m glad to know they’re thriving.
I’ve been the victim of several of these scams and it’s awful. You feel so vulnerable and then embarrassed.
I appreciate the research you do to help us all out.
Thank you!
Dear Sandra,
Thank you for writing!
I am sorry you got scammed several times. Oh my!
You are right. When that happens we all feel vulnerable and embarrassed and maybe very angry!!!
You are welcome for the research I do to help you. I post things that help me hoping they might help you and other people.
Do something that makes you smile
Never Give Up
Joan
Interesting take on email scams. I never thought to check the address as a red flag.
Dear Logan,
Thanks for writing. I hope it helps you keep from getting scammed.
Never Give Up
Joan
You’ve helped many with that article . I’ve bookmarked it to reference later. Plus there’s another angle. The big kahuna in
self – publishing is Ingram Sparks, for printing and distribution, and no doubt other services offered, possibly Promotions and Marketing. BUT – they don’t make it easy to submit, for some.
Writers are creative, they dance to a different tune than high tech junkies bent on the perfection of a totally automated system. Technically minded people are, in a sense, artists in their own right. But while a hands free platform may be their idea of a masterpiece, it can prove challenging to some non tekkies.
Your submission generates an error message and it’s a
roadblock — now , r a t h e r t h a n researching your next bit of
subject matter, you’re clicking links at Ingram Sparks, researching their massive libraries. It’s a d i f f e n t universe
with its own language.
And it can, with some irony, send a writer to hook up with what may be one of those phony companies – which may actually help, or, may be a bad experience where they’re explaining added costs, again, in another Ingram-like language.
Dear Bill,
Thank you for writing. You are right. Some of the companies that provide self-publishing services may require more technical knowledge and abilities to put things in a format that their computers are programmed to receive and edit from.
Many big companies do not offer live phone support. It may be difficult to get a message uploaded to their site in the right hands of someone who can help you, when you don’t know what you need. You just know you are stuck in a rut.
I am sorry that this experience has been so troublesome for you and that you still do not have your book published.
I know it is taking longer than you ever anticipated. And you have had problems you never expected. I am proud of you that you are persevering and continuing to work towards getting your goal of having your second published book in your hands.
Never Give Up
Do something that makes you smile
Joan
The missing part is Ingram Sparks offering an hourly consultation fee, with another human being, who, knowing the “system” could
wipe away a writer’s blues with a few mouse clicks.
Dear Bill,
Thank you for writing. I am sorry you didn’t get the help you wanted and needed. Hopefully, the right door has opened for you or will in the next week so you can make your dreams come true with your next book.
Never Give Up
Do something that is fun for you today!
Joan