Authors and Writers Targeted in Global AI-Driven Publishing Scam
An alarming international network of vanity and self-publishing sites operating in Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand has been exposed for using cloned websites, AI-generated staff pages, and virtual office addresses to deceive aspiring authors into paying for non-existent publishing services.
Among the fraudulent entities is Melbourne Book Publisher, which mimics the legitimate Melbourne Books through a nearly identical name and Australian Business Number (ABN). This site, along with others linked to the London-based First Page Press, removed their AI-generated team pages after inquiries from The Guardian. The sites had staff pages featuring AI-created images of executives with fabricated names such as Marcus Hale, Jonathan Hale, and Lydia Preston.
First Page Press CEO Nick Courtright condemned the scam as brazen theft, taking action by issuing cease-and-desist notices and reporting the matter to Scamwatch. Some of the books listed on these sites were actually published by Atmosphere Press in the United States, according to Amazon records, further indicating misrepresentation.
Authors from Western Australia, including Andrea who paid 88 AUD for an ABN and Peter Ortmueller who paid about 150 AUD, encountered the name Marcus Hale and later discovered they had been dealing with impostor companies, ultimately losing money. Their experiences suggested potential face-to-face contact with scammers.
Additional scam sites such as Aussie Book Publisher and Oz Book Publishers circulated fake testimonials using names and likenesses of real authors. Notably, Blair N Williamson appeared under the name Kristine and Katrina Germein as Sarah on these sites. The genuine authors have pursued cease-and-desist actions and reported these issues to Scamwatch.
Most book titles claimed by these scam sites are real self-published works listed on Amazon; however, the publishers themselves are either misrepresented or non-existent. The fraudulent entities list addresses in London, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Wellington that are serviced offices shared by multiple companies, lending a false sense of legitimacy to their operations.
Melbourne Books founder David Tenenbaum has issued warnings against these deceptive sites. Official bodies such as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the National Anti-Scam Centre, and Scamwatch have acknowledged the problem, encouraging victims to report publishing scams. Amazon similarly stated that no records link the books to Melbourne Book Publisher, confirming the fraudulent nature of the operation.
