Scammer Whammer – Fighting Back with Fake Books
- Gary
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Like many authors, I set up an online author profile with noble intentions: to connect with readers, share my work, and maybe even engage in a literary conversation.
But mostly? It was to survive the tsunami of scammers masquerading as digital marketers, literary agents, and suspiciously enthusiastic readers who message me daily.
The Scam Script
If you’re an author on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter—or, let’s face it, anywhere that accepts logins—you know the routine:
“I want to read your book!
”Drop your link now.”
“Share your creative journey with me.”
“You’re so talented. I can make your book a bestseller!”
“Hello, Sir/Madam/Author/Human.”
They’re not real readers. They’re digital carpetbaggers offering instant fame, five-star reviews, or “Top 100 Amazon Author” status—for a fee. And despite their painfully generic messages, they occasionally trick new writers.
Which is where I decided to have some fun.
Introducing: Alpaca Zygote (Spoof Book of the Month)
One day, in a fit of mischief, I posted a brand new, totally non-existent book to one of these scam-happy threads. Title? Alpaca Zygote: A Memoir of Unfertilized Potential
A faux-scientific, non-fiction, sci-fi hybrid about genetically enhanced camelids. Totally absurd. Absolutely pointless. Completely irresistible to scammers.
And it worked.
Within minutes, I had marketers gushing about how deeply moved they were by the cover (which I threw together in 30 seconds) and offering to “amplify the success of your alpaca masterpiece.”
I nearly wet myself laughing.
For new authors - beware of the digital marketing scammer! While amazing digital marketers and best-selling authors are out there, they won’t contact you on social media. They are way too busy!
This cover attracted so many offers from digital marketers to make the book a bestseller! Slug? A Memoir? Really?
Yes, please!
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