Episode 30: We Saved This Author from a $50,000 “FOX Entertainment” and “WGA” SCAM!

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It was all coming together. His five-book series was going to become a movie!

A “literary agent” had reached out to him via email just last month.

Then, in emails shared with the author, that agent was negotiating between a “Fox Entertainment” executive, and a famous screenwriter (a member of the Writers Guild of America) who is currently in California, working on the next season of “NCIS.”

The names checked out. The Fox executive and screenwriter were real people. The author had even seen a business card in the emails. And, he also had a Zoom video conference with the Fox executive. He’d been copied on every conversation between the three people who were going to launch his books into Hollywood fame.

The pieces were quickly coming together but there was just one sticking point:

They wanted $50,000 dollars from the author to get the project started. That was just for the film treatment by the “screenwriter.”

The author’s attorney thought it looked legit. So did the author’s friend, who was a banker for more than two decades. It looked so legit that the author’s investor friend offered to pay the fee.

There was only one problem. All three people, the agent, the executive, and the screenwriter, were one person – a scammer! And, Angela and Brian were able to connect them to a known publishing scammer that was previously featured on WritersWeekly.com! They were STRONGLY pressuring the author to pay RIGHT AWAY or the project would get cancelled! Their offer, on official letterhead, promised him millions of dollars in the future! What would YOU do if you were in this author’s shoes?

Lucky for him, he reached out to his publisher, Angela Hoy at BookLocker.com. Angela only had to ask the author one question. And, his one-line answer proved it was an elaborate and sophisticated scam. You’ll hear how he responded, and what cracked the case! The pieces came tumbling down and it was AWESOME!

In this episode, we will explain how Angela uncovered the clues that the author, his lawyer, AND a banker with over 20 years’ experience didn’t see.

She reached out to the REAL Fox Entertainment and the REAL screenwriter, who is a celebrity himself. He responded to Angela. You’ll hear what he said in this episode.

Angela and the BookLocker.com team saved this author from a $50,000 trap!

You don’t want to miss this disturbing episode!!

UPDATE: After the episode was recorded, Angela Hoy was contacted by the REAL screenwriter’s law firm and agent. They’re going after the scammer. They asked for all of the emails and contact information for the three fake individuals and, of course, we provided it.

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3 Responses to "Episode 30: We Saved This Author from a $50,000 “FOX Entertainment” and “WGA” SCAM!"

  1. John  December 28, 2025 at 7:34 pm

    I have been scammed. Large sum of money. Is there a way to sue and get the funds returned?

    I look up the phone and the scammer is not using his name. However, it links to the person owning 20 homes.

    Any advice?

    Some of the material is done, like the website. There was a short video taken by Foxnews that looked legit. Now I am not sure based on what I read below.

    The website will let me download books all over the world for ebooks and audiobooks.

    They did translate the book into 10 languages.

    They did create a great book trailer. And the trailer was approved by a ministry sister in Tanzania for the Swahili language.

    Five interviews were supposedly done with the NY Times, CEO weekly (both published) but the other three are not published.

    I am very upset. So, some good is coming from this, but lots of serious scam. I was supposedly interviewed by Joseph Kahn of the NY Times. An article was created to appear on the front page, but it was not published. If i sent the article to CEO Joseph Kahn, would I be able to begin doing something.

    According to the scam, I was supposed to be sent a copy of the NY Times. But nothing sent. I had the NYC Library send me a link to the front page. It was not printed.

    I am thinking to have the scammer send me the fake printed copy, then get a lawyer.

    Or am I wasting my time and effort?

    Reply
    • By Angela Hoy - Publisher of WritersWeekly.com  December 30, 2025 at 1:56 pm

      Please contact me. Definitely looks like an elaborate scam. The interview was very likely with an impersonator (not the actual person at the New York Times). I will need the name of the “company” you were working with, some copies of emails, and whatever you can send to help with our investigation. Attorney James M. Walsh will assist as well (pro bono, of course).

      Angela Hoy, Publisher
      WritersWeekly.com
      President & CEO
      BookLocker.com, Inc.

      Reply
  2. Pavel K  December 20, 2025 at 12:12 pm

    bravo, Angela!

    Reply

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