Another email today (see yesterday's post on Fans and Phishes.) from someone who obviously just wants my signature. Can someone tell me why?
Dear Starr,
My wife Mavis gets so much enjoyment from reading your books and she thinks you are a brilliant writer.
Would it be possible for you to send her a signed photograph or bookplate please.
She would be so surprised and delighted, it would really make her birthday extra special.
Thank you and best wishes from
Keith Holt
25 Field Drive
Alvaston
Derby
DE24 0HF
England
UK
This is when I'm glad that - PAY ATTENTION HERE, PHISHERS! - I don't write under my own legal name. Starr Ambrose has no social security number, no bank accounts, and no credit history.
If anyone is ever considering whether to publish under their own name, my advice is DON'T. There are too many people out there willing to take advantage of you.
Yep, Keith just hit me up today as well.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also don't write under my real name, or use the same signature for my autograph, either. Keith would have a heck of a time trying to steal a non existent identity :)
I received exactly this message today, too. Struck me as, well, Phishy. I will delete.
ReplyDeleteI just got the exact same letter too.
ReplyDeleteThey seem to be making their way around to everyone :-)
ReplyDeleteI too got this exact same message a few days ago. Stupid me, I fell for it and promised I'd send him a couple of bookmarks. Fortunately I haven't sent them yet, so I'm glad I saw this message first. My friend Anjali has posted a note here as well. Good thing I read this...
ReplyDeleteI'm an author with many pseudonyms, and I got the same message today. I Googled the name and found the same message on another author's site. It made me feel very uncomfortable indeed.
Delete