SCAM ALERT: I got an email offering to promote my book. How can I tell if it's legit?

We've had reports of authors receiving emails that pretend to be from Bookclubs, usually offering some kind of paid promotional feature (like an "Author Chat") and asking for payment by bank transfer. These are scams. Here's what to know and what to do.

How to tell it's not really us

• The sender address isn't ours. Real Bookclubs emails come from @bookclubs.com addresses. Scam emails typically come from free Gmail accounts with "bookclubs" stuffed into the name.
• We don't ask for bank transfers. We will never ask you to wire money or send funds to a specific person's name rather than to Bookclubs directly.

What to do if you receive one

• Don't respond, click links, or send any payment or personal information.
• Report it as phishing to your email provider.  (In Gmail: three-dot menu → "Report phishing").
• Block the sender after reporting.
• If you've already sent money, contact your bank immediately about reversing or disputing the transfer, and file a report at reportfraud.ftc.gov (US) or your country's equivalent fraud body.
• Let us know — forward the email to help@bookclubs.com so we can track the pattern and report it on our end.

Not sure if something from Bookclubs is legitimate?

When in doubt, don't reply to the email directly. Forward it to us at help@bookclubs.com and we'll confirm whether it's real.