Diogenes carried a lamp through city streets in the daytime, “looking for an honest man.”

“There’s a sucker born every minute!” P.T. Barnum

“I believe that people are basically good.” Anne Frank

“Trust but verify.” Old Russian Proverb

Flimflam World

The longer you live, the more crooks you will find

bound and determined to rob you blind!

They do so many things that just aren’t right.

which makes me wonder, how do they sleep at night,

these con artists, schemers, and scammers,

charlatans, and flimflammers?

The world is crawling with dirty dealers,

false advertisers, chiselers, and cheaters.

Swindlers make promises too good to be true.

Fly-by-night tradesmen are targeting you.

Annoying junk mail and phone solicitors

are high-pressure hucksters and time wasters.

There’s no end in sight for white collar crime,

false advertisers, identity thieves online,

snake oil salesmen, online quacks,

weight loss gurus, and computer hackers.

Dressed for success are those insider traders,

predatory lenders, and pension fund raiders.

On social media, conspiracy theories confuse.

Questionable sources proclaim, “Fake news!”

Who can we trust to make criminals stop?

Not corrupt politicians or crooked cops!

With so many people who intend to deceive,

how can we ever know what to believe?

My suggestion of the place to start:

Make sure you, yourself, are pure in heart!

Do an honest day’s work, treat others fairly,

and set an example of honor and integrity.

Don’t value leaders above ethical beliefs…

Charismatic leaders may be liars and thieves.

Don’t believe everything you read or hear!

Consider all opinions until the issues are clear.

Avoid anything that seems too good to be true.

“Trust, but verify!” is a motto to pursue.

Crooks are vastly outnumbered by honest folks.

Believe in yourself, and don’t give up hope!

Copyright © 2021 by Cheryl Batavia

Scams I Have Encountered

This is an update on what I have been working on over my break and until now. It is embarrassing to admit this; I have encountered my share of scammers. I have dealt with fake agents and impersonators of executives of Big Five publishing companies. I did lose money in one of these scams, but was lucky enough to get my money back.

Major Publishers have fraud departments. You can contact them online before you sign up if someone claiming to be affiliated with the publisher approaches you. Also, contact the fraud department if someone tells you that a major publisher is interested in publishing your book. The fraud department will verify whether or not the people who have contacted you are legitimate.

It will not be possible to recover your money if you pay a scammer with Apple Gift Cards! Even Banks, Zelle, and PayPal are changing policies about refunding payments made to fraudulent online companies.

One self-publishing company charged me a lot of money for republishing three books and presenting five books to traditional publishers. They did not obtain any publishing contracts. Even though books have been sold over the last three years, they have refused to pay me any royalties.

Do not allow yourself to be rushed into signing a contract. Read every word before you sign. If you can afford an attorney to review the contract, hire one before you sign it. Be prepared to consult an attorney if the company violates the contract. Keep records and documentation of communications with the company in case you ever need them.

Recently, a scammer, whose name was unknown to me, tried to steal one of my books. He tried to register my book with the Writers Guild of America. He falsely claimed he was a collaborator and said he had “done most of the work” on the book. I have never had so much as an editor, much less a collaborator on any book!

Register your copyright with the copyright office before you make your work public to help prevent theft. Alternatively, do it right after you self-publish a book. This ensures financial protection in court if someone violates your copyright. The amount of compensation you can get in court depends on your timeliness.

It is not easy to check out shady individuals and fly-by-night companies. The Better Business Bureau had given a high rating to a self-publishing company with fake agents. I heard that the company got into legal trouble, and I don’t think they are in business anymore. I didn’t lose any money with them. I did waste a year of my life dealing with one of their fake agents. This fake agent eventually ghosted me.

A Website called “Writer Beware” publishes what I call “Naughty Lists” and blog posts that can help detect scammers. They say that legitimate agents work strictly on commission. If an agent’s company asks you for payment for any services, the agent is unlikely to be legitimate. Such an agent is also unlikely to be licensed. This is the case with some “hybrid publishers.” The scam companies I encountered are all on the “Naughty List” at Writer Beware. I wish I had read it earlier!

Be sure to check out anyone who solicits you with offers to publish or market your books! Learn from the mistakes of others and avoid nightmare scenarios!

Do you have any advice to add? Please put it in the comments. It’s a jungle out there! Your insights could save a fellow writer from being scammed!

Current Projects

Despite health issues and unfortunate encounters with scammers, I do have a book coming out in a few weeks. Life on the Blue Planet is the third book in the trilogy about life on Earth. All three books have similar chapters and themes.

The first book, Life in Inspiring Places, highlights places I have lived. The second book, Earthly Days, includes many nostalgic poems and poems about love. The final book in the trilogy, Life on the Blue Planet, has an emphasis on the environment.

The poem in this post, “Flimflam World,” appears in Earthly Days. I will share more about the new book very soon.

I am still working on a screenplay based on several of my books, which has taken far too long. I met my new screenwriter yesterday at a Zoom meeting. I have high hopes for the project to be finished in a few months.

Stay far away from scammers!🤪 Have a wonderful weekend! 💕️

Coming Soon: Life on the Blue Planet