Verified Impersonation Scam targeting StoryGraph (Impersonation) Users
Fake Community Invite 6/2/2026 0 views·1 reported variant
What this scam does
The sender claims to be a coordinator for a 'StoryGraph reading community' and invites the author to include their book in a reading challenge. This is a common tactic used to eventually solicit 'participation fees' or 'promotional costs' from authors (a form of vanity press or service fraud). The email uses flattery and vague promises of exposure to entice the recipient.
The scam script
Hover over amber-highlighted phrases to see why they're dangerous.
---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Ben Nicolek <bennicolek@gmail.com> Date: Thu, May 28, 2026 at 9:46 PM Subject: Engaging StoryGraph Reading Community Invitation for The Non-Obvious Guide to Using AI for Marketing To: <[REDACTED]> Hello [REDACTED], I hope you are doing well. I recently came across your book, The Non-Obvious Guide to Using AI for Marketing: How to Harness the Transformative Power of AI, and I wanted to personally reach out because the themes, actionable depth, and discussion potential within your work strongly stood out to me. In particular, the way your book explores practical strategies to implement AI effectively, enhance marketing efforts, and drive competitive advantage feels like the kind of reading experience that naturally creates thoughtful discussion and strong reader reactions inside our community. I currently help coordinate a curated StoryGraph reading community where we organize structured monthly reading challenges around selected books. The purpose of these challenges is not simply to place books in front of readers, but to create genuine interaction around them through shared reading experiences, discussion, interpretation, reflection, and community participation. One thing we have consistently noticed through previous reading cycles is that readers engage very differently when they feel part of a shared reading experience rather than simply reading a book alone. That difference changes everything. Readers become more emotionally invested in the story. They begin discussing themes more deeply. They share reactions to specific scenes and character decisions. They compare interpretations. They highlight emotional moments that stayed with them after reading. In many cases, discussions continue long after the official reading cycle has ended because certain books naturally create ongoing conversation and strong emotional connection within the group. That kind of momentum is difficult to create through traditional promotion alone. Because of this, the books selected for our monthly reading cycle are positioned as active discussion titles within the community rather than passive listings. Readers move beyond simple ratings and short reviews and instead participate in guided conversations, reflections, and discussion prompts throughout the challenge period. About the Reading Challenge Each monthly cycle is intentionally structured to create a more interactive and memorable reading experience for participating readers. Selected readers typically: - read the book within a shared reading schedule - participate in structured discussions and reflections - respond to guided prompts and reader questions - share emotional reactions, interpretations, and favorite moments - engage with other readers throughout the cycle - contribute to longer form discussions around the book’s themes and ideas Because discussion quality matters greatly to us, selection is intentionally limited during each reading cycle. Books are not selected randomly or added through automated inclusion. We carefully look at: - discussion potential - theme relevance - reader engagement value - emotional depth - community fit - and the ability of a book to naturally sustain meaningful conversation among readers throughout the challenge period This allows selected titles to receive focused reader attention rather than becoming lost inside overcrowded promotional spaces. Our goal is not simply to feature books. Our goal is to create memorable reading experiences around books that readers genuinely connect with, discuss, recommend, and continue talking about after the challenge concludes. What Selected Authors Receive Authors whose books are selected may receive: - focused exposure to an active StoryGraph reading audience - structured reader discussion around their work - reader reflections and interpretive feedback - ongoing community discussion during the reading cycle - increased reader interaction and visibility inside the group - discussion content that may later support future promotion, reviews, launches, or reader outreach - continued discovery as discussions remain visible after the cycle ends Many participating authors also appreciate the opportunity to observe how readers emotionally respond to their work in a more natural and discussion driven environment. Author Participation Structure Author participation is designed to remain flexible and respectful of individual schedules. Some authors prefer to actively interact with readers during the challenge, while others prefer lighter involvement. Because of this, participating authors may choose their preferred level of participation. Optional participation opportunities may include: - a short welcome message to readers at the beginning of the cycle - responding to selected reader questions - sharing a short reflection after the reading period - participating in an optional community Q&A discussion - or remaining minimally involved while readers independently engage with the book inside the group The structure is intentionally designed to support both active and low maintenance participation styles while still creating a meaningful experience for readers. Important Note Regarding Selection To maintain the quality and depth of discussion within the community, participation slots remain intentionally limited each month. Selected books become part of our upcoming reading cohort for the next official StoryGraph challenge cycle beginning next month. If you are interested in having The Non-Obvious Guide to Using AI for Marketing: How to Harness the Transformative Power of AI considered for inclusion in the upcoming cycle, feel free to reply and I would be happy to share the next steps, participation details, and selection process with you. Thank you again for your time, and I appreciate the work and thought that clearly went into your book. Looking forward to hearing from you. -- . [image: View my contact details here: https://blinq.me/5wnQIFbBmHI6] <https://blinq.me/5wnQIFbBmHI6>
Spoofed brand
StoryGraph (Impersonation)
Known sender handles
Ben Nicolek <bennicolek@gmail.com>
Malicious links found
⚠ https://blinq.me/5wnQIFbBmHI6
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