Dear Writer Friends,

I recently received an email from “Alyce Brielle Frick,” a name of a supposed book reviewer. The email raved about my book. It also included a short but compelling sob-story that grabbed my heart. After a few email exchanges, “Alyce” offered me stellar long-term book marketing services. I was enticed. I asked to see the person’s fees and services sheet.

I was quickly being pulled in to sign up for Alyce’s services.

Before I made a commitment, I prayed and slept on the offer before taking any action. (Thank you, Lord Jesus!)

The next day I thought, “Better check out this person before I take any further action.” (Thank you again, Lord Jesus!)

My Google search found comment links from Tik-Tok and Facebook, all positive. But one link that came up carried a big warning: 

Alyce Brielle Frick is a fake. The sender is using AI information about you and your book to sound like “she” knows you, is a committed Christian, and “she” is also using AI to generate a nice photo of herself and to craft emotion-rich messages to engage your sympathy and trust.

I have safely pulled away from dealings with the sender of those emails.

Since AI-using scammers are now abundant, please be very cautious about offers and praises you receive in emails and messages. Some scammers will even impersonate a close friend or relative to convince you to act on their behalf. (For instance, give money or personal information.)

A suggestion from a real Christian podcaster (Thomas Umstattd,Jr.) exhorts you and me to talk with our friends and relatives about verifying identity by choosing a private word or phrase that you only share between yourselves, what I call a “relationship authenticator.”

Finally, pray with me:

“Dear heavenly Father, please thwart scammers by enforcing tighter security on users of phone numbers, emails, messages, websites, and the like. In Jesus’s holy name, Amen.”

God bless you.

Rosemary B. Althoff