AI-written scam emails are impersonating real editors and agents
The Institute of Professional Editors issued a scam alert on September 2 about AI-generated emails that convincingly impersonate editors and agents at real publishing houses to praise a manuscript before asking for a fee.
Developing · day 2 · first reported Tue, Sep 22 2026
The Institute of Professional Editors issued a scam alert on September 2 about AI-generated emails that convincingly impersonate real editors and agents. Scammers scrape an author's bio, blurb and themes to have AI write a pitch that reads as if the sender actually read the book -- then ask for a fee. Verify any unsolicited 'we love your book' email by checking the sender's domain and contacting the named publisher or agency directly through its own website before you reply or pay anything.
From the Coral Wire edition of Wed, Sep 23 2026 · Coral Index 38/100 (Headwinds)
Coverage — 2 sources
Every outlet this story was checked against before Coral wrote her take — not just the one it was found on.
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