The “Amazon Publishing Group Scam”: A Cautionary Tale 

by CB Bowman-Ottomanelli

A disclaimer, this is written as my opinion and is based on my experience
In a shocking turn of events, I fell victim to a fraudulent publishing scheme that falsely claimed affiliation with Amazon. This experience serves as a stark warning to aspiring authors and highlights the importance of due diligence when seeking publishing services.

The Deception Unfolds
I initially contracted with a company calling itself “Amazon Publishing Group” to produce my second book. They promised comprehensive editing and marketing services, luring me in with the prestige of the Amazon name. However, the reality was far from their glossy promises. Despite thorough due diligence, I encountered a sophisticated publishing scam that highlights the evolving tactics of fraudsters in the industry. This experience serves as a warning to other authors and underscores the importance of constant vigilance.

Red Flags and Empty Promises
As the process unfolded, several red flags emerged:

1. Nonexistent Services: The editing and marketing services they promised were virtually nonexistent.

2. Upselling Tactics: They attempted to sell me additional packages, including a dubious offer for Wikipedia inclusion.

3. Sophisticated Delays: “I’m on vacation,” “Working to negotiate better pricing for extended services,” “Working on setting up a meeting with…”

3. Sudden Closure: Without warning, the company abruptly shut down operations …emails rejected, website down, telephone number no service.

Legal Ramifications
The closure of this fraudulent operation has led to multiple lawsuits. Amazon has recently filed a lawsuit against similar fraudulent operations, demonstrating their commitment to combating such scams.

‘Amazon this week announced that it has filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of California against some 20 individuals scamming authors by falsely claiming an affiliation with Amazon Publishing and Kindle Direct Publishing. According to the suit, the scammers run fake Amazon knockoff websites designed to lure would-be authors into paying a fee to publish, and then deliver either substandard or no service at all.

“Defendants use the Amazon Marks in their domain names and on their websites to divert victims from Amazon’s genuine websites to Defendants’ websites that purport to offer services to help authors create, edit, and publish their works through [Amazon Publishing or Kindle Direct Publishing],” the suit states, adding that, “to further the ruse of affiliation with Amazon” the websites often have chat boxes or advertise phone numbers to call that provide “false and misleading representations of affiliation with Amazon.”…

to read the complete article in Publishers Weekly visit https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/93613-amazon-sues-scammers-targeting-authors.html#:~:text=Amazon%20this%20week%20announced%20that%20it%20has,and%20misleading%20representations%20of%20affiliation%20with%20Amazon.%E2%80%9D

Additional information can be found here:

https://publishdrive.com/amazon-fights-against-fraud-in-publishing.html

However, even though the e-commerce giant has taken legal action against scams, demonstrating their commitment to protecting their brand and authors in my humble opinion they have not done nearly enough. When a company become an industry giant they must increase the protection of their customers in equal proportion.

A Silver Lining
Fortunately, I had used a credit card for the transaction. Thanks to my 27-year membership history, they refunded the charges, mitigating my financial loss.

Lessons Learned:
1. Verify Legitimacy: Always thoroughly research publishing services before engagement.

2. Be Wary of Upsells: Legitimate publishers rarely pressure authors into additional services.

3. Use Secure Payment Methods: Credit card protections can be invaluable in cases of fraud.

4. Trust Your Instincts: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

This experience serves as a stark reminder of the risks in the publishing world. Authors must remain vigilant and informed to protect themselves from such predatory schemes.

This experience underscores that even seasoned professionals can fall victim to well-orchestrated scams. It serves as a reminder for all in the publishing industry to remain alert and support each other in identifying and exposing fraudulent operations.