Martina Devlin: I was targeted by a scammer claiming to be top editor from Penguin who was full of praise for my work

"Scams pretending to be editors, literary agents or even festival organisers are rising at an alarming speed, according to the Society of Authors"

"While AI can make such approaches appear convincing, someone is orchestrating the con - and once the prey is hooked, attempts are made to cheat them out of money."

"I was targeted by a particularly sophisticated one recently, which impersonated a genuine editor in a major publishing house, using AI to convey authenticity with industry-specific language."

Scams impersonating editors, literary agents, or festival organisers are increasing rapidly. A sophisticated scam can impersonate a real editor at a major publishing house. AI can be used to create messages that sound authentic by using industry-specific language. The scam is orchestrated to deceive targets and hook them. After a victim is engaged, attempts are made to cheat them out of money. The overall pattern involves impersonation, credibility signals, and financial extraction once contact is established.

Read at Independent