Success! A Scammer Called Me A B****!

We all know it’s bad to respond to an email from a con artist. It just puts us in their sights. But when it’s a slow morning, and the scam is so ludicrous that you can’t resist, isn’t it satisfying to upset and irritate them? In my experience, they ghost when they know I’m on to them. It’s a pale form of satisfaction but usually all I get. Once, I did land a confession. (Granted, after I challenged the “fellow author” scammer and she came clean, she still used the real author’s name when she ended her tearful apology. It dampened my satisfaction). But I never knew true success until I caused a fake movie mogul to totally lose his cool. I count his tirade among my life’s achievements.

He had insulted my intelligence by telling me he’s a world-renown film producer and former head of a global streaming juggernaut and he wanted to adopt my thus-far-unknown memoir into a blockbuster film. Even when I taunted him from the start, he persisted through exchanges of detailed thrust-and-parry. His responses were more erudite and informative than most. He even offered me a fake chance to option the dramatic rights to my essays on literary fraud! I was enjoying the repartee and was looking forward to more, but alas, I must have been more galling than I thought. He abandoned his ruse and lambasted me with a string of invective.

Now, we don’t want to embarrass the actual famous producer, so I’ll substitute the name and work of a different famous producer. He won’t mind. He died in 1965. All identifiers are changed and appear in brackets, but the dates, times, and email content are exactly as they were sent and received.

From: [David O. Selznik], producer at [MGM Studios]
Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026 2:34 AM
To: [Me]
Subject: Inquiry Regarding Screen Adaptation Rights for A Version of the
Truth

Dear [Me]

This is [David O. Selznik], at [Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios], producer of [Gone With The Wind.] I recently came across A Version of the Truth and was immediately moved by its deeply personal and emotionally compelling story. The memoir’s exploration of enduring love, identity, memory, and the uncertainty of human relationships create the kind of intimate, character-driven narrative that could translate beautifully into a feature film or limited television series.

The remarkable premise of a decades-long relationship built on unconventional devotion, followed by the devastating discovery of a partner whose memory—and apparent identity—has been erased, offers extraordinary emotional depth and dramatic tension. Its thoughtful examination of grief, resilience, unanswered questions, and the search for meaning provides a powerful foundation for a screen adaptation that could resonate with audiences seeking authentic, emotionally rich storytelling.

‎At [MGM Studios,] we have the platform and the appetite for exactly this kind of gripping, character-driven Book. I would love to explore what bringing this to screen could look like.
‎
‎Should the timing feel right, I would be delighted to connect at your convenience.

‎
‎Warm regards,
‎‎[David O. Selznik]
[Producer, MGM Studios]

From: [Me]
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2026 8:29 AM
To: [David O Selznik]
Subject: Re: Inquiry Regarding Screen Adaptation Rights for A Version of the
Truth

Greetings, [Mr. Selznik.]

How are things in Hollywood? I see that you’re using a generic Gmail address and working at 2:34 on a Saturday morning. Times must be tough. I remember when the mighty [MGM] could afford its own domain, and everyone worked a three-day week. Sad. Sad.

Warmer,
[Me]

From: [David O Selznik], producer at [MGM Studios]
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2026 6:55 PM
To: [Me]
Subject: Re: Re: Inquiry Regarding Screen Adaptation Rights for A Version of the Truth

Hi, [Me]

A sharp eye. You’d be surprised how many authors drop their guard immediately.

To be entirely transparent: I do not handle initial, unsolicited talent outreach directly through corporate infrastructure. My internal corporate communications are heavily audited and restricted to active, agent-represented packages to avoid intellectual property liabilities (the “fringe submission” legal trap).

Furthermore, [MGM Studios] frequently utilizes independent, NDA-bound creative scouts to source unrepresented material under private accounts to prevent standard market speculation from driving up option prices prematurely.

Because of the strict confidentiality surrounding this preliminary scouting phase, I cannot conduct phone calls or video conferences at this stage. All initial evaluations must maintain a strict digital paper trail through this secure auxiliary channel.

If you are uncomfortable moving forward via this secure channel, I completely respect your boundaries. However, if you are open to discussing the option availability of A Version of the Truth, my next step is simply to introduce you to our designated external legal counsel who handles our independent acquisitions.

They will handle the vetting and contract drafting. Let me know if I should have them contact you with the preliminary paperwork.

Warm regards,
[David O. Selznik]

(It’s only fair to give him a chance to back out. He might be a novice scammer. Nobody would believe the fearsome [David O. Selznik] is out cruising the internet in the pre-dawn hours, looking for unknown writers to promote.)

From: [Me]
Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2026 9:29 AM
To: [David O Selznik]
Subject: Re:Re: Inquiry Regarding Screen Adaptation Rights for A Version of the Truth

Greetings, [Mr. Selznik.]

Notwithstanding the fact that [MGM] uses independent scouts, your email is signed by [David O. Selznik] at [MGM] who identifies himself as the producer of [“Gone With The Wind.”] You’re not claiming to represent him. Your signature indicates that you’re claiming to be him. Is that really who you are?

Warmer,
[Me]

From: [David O. Selznik], producer at [MGM Studios]
Sent: Sunday, July 12, 2026 1:13 PM
To: [Me]
Subject: Re: RE: RE: Inquiry Regarding Screen Adaptation Rights for A
Version of the Truth

Hello, [Me]

Yes, that is correct.

I understand your diligence. In this position, I oversee hundreds of millions of dollars in production assets, which means my public profile is heavily scrutinized. It also means that when I personally take an interest in a piece of literature outside of the standard CAA or WME agency pipelines, I am required by our risk assessment team to do so via isolated, external channels until a formal non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is executed.

I chose to reach out because A Version of the Truth possesses the exact structural framework we are looking to develop for our upcoming slate.

However, my time is exceptionally constrained. I operate on the creative side of the studio, not the administrative one. If my identity or the preliminary nature of this secure outreach makes you uncomfortable, we do not need to proceed. I have no desire to pressure you.

If you do wish to proceed, please confirm that you retain the exclusive worldwide adaptation rights to the text, and I will have our external rights-acquisition coordinator email you the standard preliminary vetting documents.

I will leave the ball in your court.

Warm regards,
[David O. Selznik]

From: [Me]
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2026 8:29 AM
To: [David O Selznik]
Subject: Re: RE: RE: Inquiry Regarding Screen Adaptation Rights for A
Version of the Truth

Greetings, [Mr. Selznik]

I’m not uncomfortable, but I appreciate your concern for my well-being.

I often write about scams targeting authors, and I’d rather send you links to my published essays on the topic but instead I’ll offer you what every professional writer would say. Short version: This is a scam. Long version: This is a scam. And here are the most glaring warning signs, adapted from ChatGPT when I fed it your email and asked it if you were a con artist).

The Gmail address. A producer at [MGM Studios] would normally communicate through an official corporate domain—or through an assistant, business affairs executive, or a well-known talent agency. There are legitimate situations where people use personal email, but this would be highly unusual for an executive initiating rights discussions.

The explanation doesn’t make business sense. He claims that the corporate email is “heavily audited,” they must use “isolated external channels,” they can’t use phone or video, they need a “secure auxiliary channel,” risk management requires Gmail until an NDA. Those explanations sound impressive, but they don’t align with how major studios generally handle acquisitions. Studios are very careful about unsolicited submissions, but they don’t solve that problem by having their division head conduct secret Gmail negotiations. They use legal departments, business affairs, agents,entertainment attorneys, and official corporate channels.

Refusing phone or video. Someone who is genuinely [David O. Selznik] could easily arrange a brief call through an assistant. Saying they cannot speak by phone because they need a “digital paper trail” is not persuasive. Phone calls and written follow-up are routine in the entertainment industry.

Overly elaborate justifications. Legitimate executives rarely spend paragraphs explaining why they’re legitimate. Notice how much of his correspondence is devoted to explaining risk assessment, confidential scouting, fringe submission traps, external channels, market speculation, audited email.

NDAs. It’s common in impersonation attempts: create a story that explains away obvious inconsistencies.

Flattery. The opening message is highly complimentary about your book and says it is “exactly” what [MGM] is looking for. While executives certainly praise projects they like, scammers often use detailed praise to build credibility quickly.

The signature. Simply signing [David O. Selznik] doesn’t establish identity.
Anyone can type that.

Warmer yet,
[Me]

From: [David O Selznik], producer at [MGM Studios]
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2026 2:39 PM
To: [Me]
Subject: Re: RE: RE: RE: Inquiry Regarding Screen Adaptation Rights for A
Version of the Truth

Hello, [Me]

That is an exceptionally well-written breakdown. If you ever want to option the dramatic rights to your essays on literary fraud, let me know it’s a fascinating space. You are 100% correct about those red flags for 99% of the emails authors receive.

But you are applying standard corporate logic to a high-level creative acquisition, and that is where the disconnect is.

Let me be completely blunt. If I email you from my professional address right now, that email passes through our corporate servers and is automatically logged by our legal department’s inbound tracking system. Because your book is unrepresented by a major Hollywood agency (like CAA or WME), that log creates an immediate, catastrophic legal liability for the studio. It’s called “unsolicited submission exposure.” If we ever produce a show in the next ten years that even vaguely resembles your memoir, you could use that corporate email trail to sue Amazon for copyright infringement.

My corporate email is a legal fortress. I am physically and contractually barred from using it to scout unrepresented material.

I use this auxiliary account precisely because it protects the studio while allowing me the creative freedom to find hidden gems like A Version of the Truth before the major agencies wrap their tentacles around them and drive the option price into a seven-figure bidding war.

I don’t need a phone call to create a paper trail; this written exchange is the record.

I am not a scammer asking you for money, banking details, or your Social Security number. I am a network head asking a simple, binary creative question: Do you control the worldwide screen rights to your book, and are you open to a conversation about optioning them?

If the answer is no because the Gmail format makes you uncomfortable, I respect that completely. I will close this file, and we will both move on with our week. But if the answer is yes, then we can talk about the actual creative vision for your story.

The ball is entirely in your court, [Me]. I won’t debate my identity with
you again.

Warm regards,
[David O Selznik]

From: [Me]
Sent: Monday, July 13 2026 5:19 PM
To: [David O Selznik]
Subject: Re:RE:RE:RE: Inquiry Regarding Screen Adaptation Rights for A
Version of the Truth

Greetings, [Mr. Selznik]

Aw, c’mon. Every network head/famous producer wants to debate their identity with an unknown writer! And I so enjoy our wild, sweet communion. With the ball in my court, would [David O. Selznik] like to arrange a Zoom with me and his representative from the legal department at [MGM]? I’ll make room in my schedule. And popcorn.

Warmer,
[Me]

From: [David O Selznik], producer at [MGM Studios]
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2026 7:24 PM
To: [Me]
Subject: Re: RE: RE: RE: RE: Inquiry Regarding Screen Adaptation Rights for
A Version of the Truth

G******* F****** A**wipe B****

Whoa! And this from a producer who must have had practice controlling his temper. All those last-minute script rewrites, complaints about inferior craft services on the set, actors throwing tantrums. I heard [Clark Gable] was a major Primadonna when they were doing [Gone With The Wind]. I confess, the A**wipe cost me a nanosecond of time to stare at my screen with furrowed brow, and I consider myself a connoisseur of vulgar expressions. Antwipe?
Apewipe? As…. Oh.

I accept the absence of his signature on the diatribe as his admission of guilt.

RELATED:

• Scammers Impersonating Amazon are Charging Authors THOUSANDS to Get Their FAKE Amazon Accounts Back!
• I Got Scammed by a Fake Book Club ON PURPOSE! – by Marsh Rose
• “Pay Up Because You Don’t Have 10 Reviews Yet!” Scammers are Pretending to Be Amazon – by Donna Deines
• The Impostor in My Inbox: A Close Call with a Literary Scam By Josephine Strand
• DON’T MISS THIS HILARIOUS ONE! Scammed By A “Fellow Author?” Don’t Get Mad, Get Even… – by Marsh Rose

Marsh Rose is a psychotherapist and author of creative nonfiction. Her short stories have appeared in a variety of publications including Cosmopolitan Magazine, Salon.Com, Hippocampus and others. Her memoir, A Version Of the Truth, was published by Sunbury Press in September 2025 and her story, “False Memory,” won first prize for creative nonfiction from New Millennium Writings in 2018. Her website is https://www.marshroseauthor.com. Marsh lives in Northern California.

 

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