<
https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/mar/12/ai-book-scams-publishing-fraud>
"Eight years of dedication were poured into the pages of
Angel of Aleppo, Jon
Cocks’ debut historical novel. Inspired by his wife’s grandmother, a survivor
of the Armenian genocide of the early 20th century, it was a labour of love,
distilled from thousands of hours of research and oral testimony.
The retired South Australian high school teacher’s project carried the weight
of family history and historical truth. It was precisely this emotional gravity
that rendered him vulnerable.
The new wave of artificial intelligence-fuelled publishing fraud that began
saturating global markets last year lifts directly from the lonely hearts
playbook. Rogue publishing schemes – most operating out of south Asia, the
Philippines and Nigeria – have become the new romance scams, substituting the
promise of true love for the dream of literary recognition.
In six months Cocks has lost almost A$10,000.
It wasn’t vacuous adulation that hooked him but the political and moral
significance the solicitations attributed to his work. The pitches argued that
his years of emotional investment deserved a global audience befitting a
historically vital narrative; that an advanced marketing campaign would deliver
his message to the world.
“And here’s me stupid enough to think these people were for real,” he says. “It
still makes me angry – I rant for a bit, then I calm down again. I’m 70, I
don’t want to bring on an episode.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
