How the Fake Sony Pictures Tried to Scam an Author into Hiring a Fake Literary Agent

THE INTENDED VICTIM has A PhD, is a clinical psychologist, and is an award-winning author of seven books. She asked us to include her name in this article so people will realize that literally ANYONE, regardless of their education and knowledge, can potentially fall victim to overseas scams. She almost did!

Q –

Hi Angie:

Received this and wanted to check with you. Sounds legitimate. Interesting that I grew up in Culver City when Sony was MGM. I would not want the animation, but he doesn’t say that, or mention money.

Also, would need a good attorney. What do you think?

Jeri

THE BLUE TEXT BELOW WAS INSERTED BY WRITERSWEEKLY.

———- Forwarded message ———
From: *Zane Murphy* <zmurphy@sonypicturesanimations.com (THIS IS NOT A WORKING WEBSITE! The real website is sonypicturesanimation.com. Notice there’s no “s” at the end. Also, there’s a REAL Zane Murphy who works in the Books/Motion Picture Literary Department at HarperCollins.)
Date: Fri, Dec 19, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Subject: BOOK-TO-SCREEN ADAPTATION AND FILM RIGHTS INTEREST – PRELIMINARY EVALUATION
To: (EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED BY WRITERSWEEKLY)

Dear Jeri Castronova,

I hope this email finds you well. My name is Zane Murphy from Sony Pictures Animation, and I am reaching out to express our interest in acquiring the film adaptation rights to your book, *Come Walk with Me: Messages from Yeshua.* (SCAMMERS INSERT ASTERISKS SO THEY CAN EASILY FIND WHERE TO COPY/PASTE A BOOK TITLE WHEN HITTING UP NUMEROUS POTENTIAL VICTIMS VIA EMAIL. THERE’S EVEN SOFTWARE THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO COMBINE A SPREADSHEET OF NAMES, EMAIL ADDRESSES, AND BOOK TITLES, AND THEN SEND OUT SPAM EMAILS EN MASSE, MAKING THEM ALL LOOK INDIVIDUALIZED.)

We recently came across your book through an Amazon Year-to-Date report that consists of books that have gained a lot of interaction online and this includes clicks and book profile visits, we were captivated with its unique elements, narrative and intriguing content. We believe that your book has the potential to translate seamlessly onto the silver screen, captivating audiences with its rich storyline and thought-provoking themes.

(FIRST, AMAZON DOES NOT SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH ANYONE OTHER THAN THE PUBLISHER OF THE BOOK. SECOND, LOOK AT HOW HE COMBINED TWO SENTENCES INTO ONE. CLASSIC FOREIGN SCAMMER ERROR. ALSO, THERE IS NOTHING SPECIFIC ABOUT THE BOOK. THIS GUY HAS NEVER SEEN OR READ THE BOOK, OBVIOUSLY. EVEN IF IT WAS DETAILED, SCAMMERS USE AI TO WRITE THOSE FALSE PRAISE EMAILS.)

Before proceeding further, we would like to propose a preliminary evaluation of the book to ensure its compatibility with our vision for a cinematic adaptation. Our team will conduct a thorough analysis to assess the story’s adaptability, visual appeal, and market potential. Additionally, we would appreciate your assistance in securing any necessary requirements for us to proceed.

* Query Letter
* Market Analysis
* Book Analysis
* Original Manuscript (NEVER SEND SPAMMERS YOUR MANUSCRIPT!!!!)
* Proof of Rights / Chain of Title
* Bookstore Returnability Enrollment
* Proof of Bookstore Returnability / Distribution Eligibility

(WHY WOULD THEY NEED ALL OF THAT, ESPECIALLY THE BOOKSTORE NONSENSE, IF THEY’RE GOING TO TURN THE BOOK INTO A MOVIE? THEY WERE GOING TO TRY TO GET HER TO PAY THEM TO REPUBLISH THE BOOK. THEY WERE ALSO GOING TO CHARGE HER FOR THOSE OTHER “SERVICES.”)

If the evaluation proves successful and all requirements are met, we would be delighted to discuss the possibility of acquiring the film rights to the book. Our aim is to collaborate closely with you throughout the development process, ensuring that the essence of your work is preserved while bringing it to a wider audience through the medium of film.

Also, maintaining confidentiality about transactions with your self-publishing companies where the book was published during the acquisition process is crucial for authors. It will ensure that negotiations remain focused and minimizes potential conflicts or misunderstandings. By keeping these transactions private, you can prevent unnecessary complications and ensure a smoother evaluation process because self-publishing companies tend to stop deals or take a certain percentage from the authors specially with movie productions.

(HA HA HA!!! THEY WANT IT ALL PRIVATE BECAUSE ANY REAL PUBLISHER WOULD SPOT THIS SCAM RIGHT OFF THE BAT! IT’S LIKE THE FAKE CELEBRITY ROMANCE SCAMMERS WHO TELL THEIR VICTIMS NOT TO TELL ANYONE THEY’RE “DATING.” SCAMMERS LIKE TO SEQUESTER THEIR VICTIMS FROM OTHERS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THOSE OTHERS WILL RECOGNIZE THE VICTIM IS BEING SCAMMED. ALSO, ONLY SCAM SELF-PUBLISHING COMPANIES TAKE MOVIE RIGHTS FROM THEIR AUTHORS.)

If you’re in need of help with the submission of requirements I can recommend a licensed Literary Agent from an elite Literary Organization which is knowledgeable about movie adaptation processes, James Miller from Indie Literary Organization. You may contact him through email which is j.miller@indieliterary.org

(THAT IS ALSO NOT A WORKING WEBSITE. AND, THERE IT IS!!! THE SCAMMER IS REFERRING HER TO ANOTHER SCAMMER…BUT IT’S PROBABLY THE SAME GUY PRETENDING TO BE TWO PEOPLE. WE’VE SEEN THAT BEFORE!)

Just let him know that you’re in need of help in securing movie adaptation requirements for the preliminary evaluation.

You will be given at least 10 business days to confirm and respond to this email and at least 15 business days to secure the requirements for the preliminary evaluation. If we don’t hear from you within the given time frame, unfortunately, we will be giving this opportunity slot to the next book of interest.

(ANOTHER SLIMY SALES TACTIC! TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!)

We are eager to hear from you soon. We look forward to the possibility of working together and bringing your incredible story to life on the big screen.

Best Regards,
Zane Murphy
Assistant to Executive Director,
Content Planning and Strategy
CA-SONY STUDIO LOT CULVER CITY
9050 Washington Blvd Sony Pictures Studios,
Culver City, California. USA, 90232-3195
Phone: (310) 909-7157
Email: zmurphy@sonypicturesanimations.com (NOTICE HOW THIS IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE URL BELOW.)
https://www.sonypicturesanimation.com (THIS IS THE REAL WEBSITE. THEY PUT IT HERE TO FOOL THE AUTHOR INTO THINKING IT’S LEGIT. HOWEVER, WHEN THE AUTHOR REPLIES TO THE EMAIL, IT GOES TO THE SCAMMER, NOT TO THE REAL SONY PICTURES.)

A –

Hi Jeri,

I’m copying attorney James M. Walsh on this email.

I’m not being rude but I want to ask (so I know what potential victims are experiencing) what made you think it was legit?

It’s an impersonation scam.

Sonypicturesanimations.com is not a working website. That’s always the first thing I look at. Some of the scammers do have real websites where they’ve even stolen the logos, etc. from the real production company. This scammer didn’t even bother to do that. I’m 100% certain you’re talking to someone in Pakistan, the Philippines, or Nigeria.

They were going to hook you, and then ask for tens of thousands. We literally just saved an author $50K last week from an identical scam (except they claimed to be FOX instead of Sony).

AUTHOR ALMOST LOST $50K!! We Saved an Author from a FAKE “Fox” Movie Deal, Which is Connected to a Known Publishing Scammer!

Angela

AUTHOR RESPONDS

WOW! I had no idea they were so pervasive and persuasive. It sounded pretty good to me, probably after all the smooth talk about the book. Guess I wanted to believe the book was good enough for a studio to be interested. I thought I was above the honey-talk, and now I know better.

Just read the 50K FOX movie deal article and how they scam authors. I’ve gotten several phone calls the past couple of years, which came on my answering machine, from Columbia Studio offering ‘at least $300K’ for film rights, one for Return of the Goddess and one for Come Walk with Me, and figured they were scams.

The indieliterary.org also should have been a tip-off, since that agent is probably involved. Also, as you mentioned, the 10-day time limit for response also was a tip-off. I sure have gotten an education from you about all the things to look for. All us authors are grateful for you blowing the lids off these foreign scams. It’s time we Americans wake up to the fact that foreigners think we’re easy book and political targets, and need to defend ourselves.

Best of luck to you and Brian.

Would love to answer this creep and tell him where to put his offer.

Blessings,
Jeri

ANGELA RESPONDS

If you respond to the email, they’ll simply share your email (since they know it’s legit) with other scammers.

1. They target Americans because most of us have more money than people living in the scammers’ countries.

2. It’s also considered honorable in those places to scam Americans.

Educating people about scams is the only way to prevent it. Scam websites are popping up at the rate of thousands per day. And, they’re not just targeting authors. There is no limit to the number of businesses they are pretending to be, including law firms!

AUTHOR RESPONDS

Angela

Okay, will not reply to his email. If you can use my email in WritersWeekly, then go ahead. I’m all for educating the public in awareness to these scams and anything we can do to stop them.

You can also sign my name, showing how anyone anywhere can easily be taken in by these scammers:

Jeri Castronova, PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Award-winning Author

COME WALK WITH ME: Messages from Yeshua

ONE TIMELESS DAY: Landscapes of a Soul

RETURN OF THE GODDESS: The Hidden History of Nefertiti – Akhenaten – Mary Magdalene – Scota

THE GODDESS AND THE GAME BOARD: A Guide to the Golden Age with Messages from the Archangels, Ascended Masters, and Galactic Beings

CODE OF THE KING: A Deadly Search for Ancient Wisdom Award-Winning Book 1 of the Thriller Trilogy: “Masters of the Game Board”

QUEST FOR THE EMERALD TABLETS: The Secret of the Alchemist Gold – Book 2 of the 2013 Thriller Trilogy MASTERS OF THE GAME

SYMBOLS OF THE GRID: Matrix of Mastery – Book 3 of the 2013 Thriller Trilogy MASTERS OF THE GAME

💬 Leave a Comment

RELATED

HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK?

Angela is not only the publisher of WritersWeekly.com. She is President & CEO of BookLocker.com,
a self-publishing services company that has been in business since 1998. Ask her anything.