468: The Scammer's Guide to Writers
03 October 2025

468: The Scammer's Guide to Writers

#AmWriting

About
THE SCAMS. They’re getting wilder and wilder, and harder and harder to spot up front or even before you hand over the cash, if the scammer is faking a service you’d have to pay for. We’re all getting these endlessly in non-writing life too, the ticket you didn’t get, the recruiter who isn’t one… I had a friend get a VERY real one that looked like it was from her town, about an existing work permit for work they were doing. The tell in that case was that it asked for a wire transfer, and in that town, you wander into town hall, hand them a check and also explain that you really paid that meter but you hit the wrong button for a car on ParkMobile.



One important link we mention: https://wheregoes.com, where you can check any link you’re given to see where it really goes—and you should.



Here’s Rachael’s episode where she reads you her whole scammy letter, and talks about getting so jaded that she almost didn’t open the email from her publicist telling her she’d hit the list: http://www.howdoyouwrite.net/episodes/i-hit-the-usa-today-bestseller-list-and-a-warning



And to sign up for all Rachael’s writerly things (which are EXCELLENT), go to https://rachaelherron.com/write.