An aspiring writer in Australia has come forward with suspicions of falling victim to a dubious international publishing scheme after a face-to-face meeting with a representative of a company called Melbourne Book Publisher. The National Anti-Scam Centre in Australia is currently investigating this matter, as multiple websites reportedly lure individuals seeking avenues in vanity and self-publishing. Similar operations have been identified in the UK and New Zealand.
The Melbourne Book Publisher appears to be part of a broader network operating under various names, including Aussie Book Publisher, Oz Book Publishers, and First Page Press. These websites claim legitimacy through tactics such as using cloned websites and AI-generated staff profiles. Melbourne Book Publisher, in particular, has raised concerns due to its name’s similarity to the legitimate Melbourne Books, and it has allegedly misused the latter’s Australian Business Number (ABN).
The situation deepened when Andrea, a first-time author recovering from illness, engaged with a person named Marcus Hale from Melbourne Book Publisher, having been attracted by a prompt Facebook response. After an encouraging video conference discussing publishing plans, Andrea paid $88 for what she thought would secure her ABN. She later discovered that the Melbourne Books office had no record of Marcus Hale, leading her to suspect the operation’s authenticity.
Another individual, Peter Ortmueller, reported similar interactions with the same entity, eventually realizing he was dealing with an imposter and losing $150. Reports suggest that the aforementioned websites often include fabricated testimonials and use real authors’ images without consent for deceptive endorsements. Some of the books listed on these sites are genuine but predominantly self-published, raising questions regarding the validity of the publishing offers made.
The owner of a legitimate publisher, David Tenenbaum, has noted that the situation reflects an ongoing trend of scamming within the publishing industry, especially targeting aspiring authors eager for publication. The Australian consumer watchdog has urged anyone experiencing such scams to report them to Scamwatch to help disrupt these networks.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/17/authors-writers-caught-in-global-ai-publishing-scam