by Cheryl Batavia

Flimflam World (Repost), Scams I Have Encountered, and Current Projects

Home buyers talking to a real estate agent. Photo by Anthony Shkraba on Pexels.

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?

Call Center. Photo by Yan Krukov on Pexels.

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.

Hacker. Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.

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.

Photo of an incarcerated man by Rodnae from Pexels.

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?

Photo by Laurenz Kleinheider on Unsplash.

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!

Photo by Gabriel Chrismariu on Unsplash.

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

“Embrace the World!” Photo by Mr. colo from Pixabay. This is one of my favorite photos from Life on the Blue Planet. It is the final book in the trilogy about life on Earth.

55 Comments

    1. Unknown's avatar

      David, I also have little for anyone to steal, but that doesn’t stop the calls and emails. I have blocked numbers, but they change numbers frequently. Turning 65 puts a target on you: prepaid burials and cremations, free lunches to sell you insurance or investment opportunities, hearing aids, miracle cures, politicians and charities, vacation packages…

      Where we live, there is no public water or sewer. When we moved here two years ago, the water treatment maintenance guy came and charged $400 for work he did not do! Robert went on YouTube and learned how to maintain the system himself, but won’t be able to do that forever.

      Thank you for asking about Robert. After all the dental work, his cataract surgery had to be postponed because of eye irritation. He has tried several medications but doesn’t tolerate them well. They use eye drops during and after the surgery that are problematic. It’s been an ordeal. His vision is declining rapidly and he can no longer drive.

      I hope all is well with you. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Unknown's avatar

      Thank you, Joanna, for your kind comment. You are so right. I have gotten to the point where I don’t even try to be polite anymore, just hang up. Thank you for asking about Robert. His cataract surgery is still on hold. It is a challenging time, but we are hanging in there.

      Have a great week! ❤

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  7. Unknown's avatar

    I fully resonate with you, Cheryl. I think it’s relatable to all. Daily I also receive suspicious messages and mails. The best way is to ignore and don’t respond or open the given link, that’s nothing but a trap. Some mails try to blackmail you on flimsy grounds and demand money in Bitcoins. Actually this is their profession to get easy and quick money. All the best to you and Robert. 👍💐💖

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      Wow, KK! I have not yet had any Bitcoin solicitations, just ads. We have had some calls purporting to be the Internal Revenue Service and telling us the police were on their way if we didn’t pay several thousand dollars.

      Maybe some of these folks can find a better type of employment. There are many job openings here now. Naw! That’s too much to hope for!

      Thank you for your informative comment and good wishes! Have a great week! ❤

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      I second that opinion Cindy. Some calls are actually threatening. We have had callers saying they are from the IRS, and the police are on their way if we don’t pay the thousands of dollars we owe the IRS. (We don’t owe anything, of course.). Thank you for your thoughtful comment. ❤

      Don't take any wooden nicklels!" 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  14. Unknown's avatar

    Very nicely penned. We are inundated daily with these things I love your wise and true message. We ourselves need to be ethical, responsible and use our critical thinking skills to navigate this world. And, I agree there is alot of good among us too “Crooks are vastly outnumbered by honest folks”. ❤

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  15. Unknown's avatar

    It’s true, how do they sleep at night? A couple of years ago my 90 year old mom had recently been scammed when a similar one called my phone. I asked him how he would feel if his elderly mom or grandmother were the victim of his scams. He didn’t hang up, I could hear him thinking, breathing. Finally, he let our a big sigh and hung up. It probably didn’t make a difference, but I felt a little better. Maggie

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      Maggie, thank you for sharing your small victory over the scam caller! That is so satisfying. 💕

      Robert likes to try to sell scam callers a used vacuum cleaner! He tells the car warranty people that his car has 25,000 miles on it and needs a new engine. “Sign me up!” he says.

      Have a great weekend! 😎

      Liked by 1 person

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  16. Unknown's avatar

    Scammers are everywhere, Cheryl, we have to be cautious, as I had earlier too commented on this post. Scam in the area of publishing a book is really amazing, and your tips are quite useful for those who want to get their books published. All the best to you for upcoming book and screenplay 🙏💐❤️

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      Thank you, KK, for reading this lengthy post and commenting. I hope someone can benefit from my stressful experiences with scammers.

      Thank you for your encouragement on my projects.💕 The screenplay is probably a long shot.

      I know I have told you before that I think you should publish a book. This post is not intended to discourage you from doing that! 😎 You are very wise and have a lot to say.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Unknown's avatar

        You’re welcome, Cheryl. Thank you for your kind words and genuine advice. I have published two small books, but were circulated in India only. I’ll go for a global edition in due course.

        Liked by 1 person

  18. Unknown's avatar

    What a great poem and sadly so true, Cheryl! I’m so sorry you got taken advantage of and glad you recovered your loss! They are so savvy and it incredulous and scary!

    On the postitive side, congratulations on your book coming soon, my friend! This is awesome and screen play? Omg this is awesome!!!
    I can’t wait!
    💕

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      Thanks, Cindy. 💕Your enthusiasm is so encouraging! The screenplay may be a long shot! I will be so happy to have the book published. The manuscript just sat there gathering dust during my illness!

      Stay away from scammers, and have a great week! 🌹🌹🌹

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  19. Unknown's avatar

    One reason I avoided self-publishing for a long time was because of the scammers out there. I watched the market for years before deciding to do as much of the work myself. “Writer Beware” is an excellent source of information. Congratulations on your new book!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      Thank you, Dawn, for sharing your thoughts and for your good wishes. It seems that scammers are multiplying like rabbits and are using ever-more-sophisticated scams.

      I wondered about the legitimacy of “Writer Beware” initially, but it seems to have a lot of credibility, and the website has a lot of helpful information.

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