THE BIG CON & I Was Scammed
Written by internationally known writer and sociologist Gini Graham Scott, PhD, who has become an expert on scams, The Big Con is based on her experience in unwittingly writing for one of these companies.
She then met the victims and discovered the scam based on turning one’s book into a film.
As a successful writer of dozens of award-winning scripts and producer of 14 films, she wrote materials of interest to real film producers and agents — such as scripts, treatments, and show bibles.
But the scammers used imposters posing as executives for real companies to get money from innocent victims, who hoped to realize their dream of turning their book into a film.
After speaking to the victims, Dr. Scott began researching scams and writing The Big Con to tell the stories of the ten victims she met and to help others know how to avoid becoming a victim of a scam.
To this end, the book features the stories of the victims and their books, which genuinely have big screen potential when presented to real producers and agents. The book also features a guide for recognizing scams of all types to avoid being victimized.
And for those who have been conned, the book describes how to possibly get back lost funds or report the scammers to law enforcement, payment platforms, better business bureaus, and the media. They may be able to help the victims and shut down these scams, once they get a number of reports about scam companies.
Some key insights you’ll gain from The Big Con:
- How the scam snared its victims.
- Why the scammers could convince authors to continue to believe and pay more, despite their growing suspicions.
- How the scammers created an elaborate ruse with imposer executives and phony emails from real companies so victims would believe they could get a film deal.
- How being scammed changed the lives of the victims.
- What led the author to discover the scam after speaking to a victim who had trouble paying the scammers since numerous payment platforms accused them of fraudulent activity.
- How the discovery of the scam led to uncovering other victims.
- The development of a film The Big Con based on interviews with a half-dozen victims.
- The many other scams targeting book authors and independent publishers.
- The key signs that something is a fraud, hoax, or scam.
- Strategies to use to protect yourself from all types of scammers.
- Steps to take to seek compensation or justice if you have been scammed.
The I Was Scammed Series
The I Was Scammed seriesfeatures an overview of different types of scams, focusing on digital and internet scams.
After an introduction to how the scam investigation began after experiencing a scam targeting book authors in The Big Con, the books discuss personality identity fraud, which is the root of so many scams.
The books describe the growing identity theft problem, the many data breaches that have occurred, the ways scammers use your personal information, how to protect your identity from theft, and how to repair the damage after a scam.
The books describe these major types of scams:
- Merchant and customer scams
- Real estate frauds, including rental scams, moving scams, home improvement and repair scams, and real estate investment scams
- Email, phone, and social media scams
- Gift card scams
- Couponing scams
- Phony contest and prize scams
- Podcast participation scams
- Conference participation scams
- Publishing and marketing services scams
- The book review scam
GINI GRAHAM SCOTT, Ph.D., J.D., is an internationally known writer, consultant, speaker, and seminar leader, specializing in business and work relationships, professional and personal development, social trends, science, and crime.
She has published over 50 books with major publishers and over 200 books with her own company, Changemakers Publishing.
Besides nonfiction books, she has published a dozen children’s books with several publishers. She has worked with dozens of clients on books and proposals on business topics, self-help, and memoirs, and she has created book and script trailers for them.
In addition, Scott writes film scripts and has produced 14 feature films, documentaries, and film/TV series. She has received national media exposure for her books, including appearances on Good Morning America, Oprah, and CNN.
Her books on social issues, crime, and scams include:
Scammed: Learn from the Biggest Consumer and Money Frauds How Not to Be a Victim (Allworth Press)
Lies and Liars: How and Why Sociopaths Lie and How You Can Detect and Deal with Them (Skyhorse Publishing)
Preventing Credit Card Fraud: A Complete Guide for Everyone from Merchants to Consumers with Jen Grendahl Lee (Rowman and Littlefield)
The Science of Living Longer: Developments in Life Extension Technology (Praeger)
Her films which are in distribution include Driver (Gravitas Ventures), Deadly Infidelity (Green Apple), Reversal (Shami Media Group), The New Age of Aging (Factory Films), and Me, My Dog and I and Rescue Me (Random Media).
The films are showcased at changemakersproductionsfilms.com
Scott does workshops and seminars on the topics of her books and on self-publishing.
She received her PhD in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, her JD from the University of San Francisco Law School, and five MAs at Cal State University, East Bay.
Endorsements
Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of “I Was Scammed” by Gini Graham Scott.
Your Title Goes Here
Your Title Goes Here
Your Title Goes Here
Your Title Goes Here
Have you ever been scammed? Do you wish never to fall prey to scammers and their wiles? Then, I Was Scammed is exactly the book you need. Having been a victim of fraud herself, Gini Graham Scott writes this book as a light at the end of a dark tunnel for others to learn from her experiences and also gain knowledge from them.
Everything you need to know about scams is discussed in this book, from how it is done to the different types of scams, preventive measures, and recovery steps to take if you are a victim already.
Gini Graham Scott covers every single aspect of how fraud may occur, ranging from commerce, social media, email to real estate scams, amongst others. I Was Scammed is an indispensable tool in a world where millions of people fall victim to the excessive schemes of scammers. She dissects the possible ways to identify scams and ways to protect yourself against them.
She creates awareness for a pandemic, scamming, which affects both the rich and poor, individuals and companies, small and large companies, and persons from all walks of life. She delivers this book to keep us woke and alert. This is not just any book. It is a must-have.
The book has a lot of positive aspects. I must commend the real stories of victims of online fraud and samples of pitches scammers use to bait people, which she included in the book. It makes the book expository and well-detailed. Further on this note, the statistics and references made to several other sources make it credible and far-reaching. This goes a long way to show the amount of research the author must have committed herself to.
Also worthy of commendation is the author’s efforts to make the book uncomplicated and straightforward as she gives a compact summary before and after each part. She lets the reader know what to expect in the next chapter and recaps the content of the previous chapters.
The illustrations used were an excellent addition to the book. It caught the eye and helped bolster the writer’s point from time to time.
ORDER THE BIG CON ON AMAZON
Then get your FREE companion book:
“HOW TO RECOGNIZE A SCAM AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT”
Just enter your name and email address and we’ll send you the book in PDF format.
[vfb id=1]
Suggested Questions For Press
- What are the books about?
- What led you to write The Big Con?
- How did you discover the book-to-film scam?
- What did the victims tell you?
- How did this turn into a film with the victims?
- What led to I Was Scammed?
- How is this becoming a film, too?
- Why are there so many scams?
- What are some of the major scams?
- What should people be aware of to avoid being a victim?
- What should people do if they have become a victim?
- What can law enforcement or other agencies do to help victims and stop scams?
- How can people join your Facebook group on scams?
- What other scams are you researching now?
- How can people learn more or get in touch with you?
