I’m putting some of these emails up so authors won’t be duped by this new rash of literary scams. The email came from “Shadrack Ben” with the address “contact.shadrack.prosehouse@gmail. com”
Dear Jerry Coyne,
My name is Shedrack, and I represent Prose House as Head of Literary Partnerships. We connect authors and readers through thoughtful literary features that highlight books and the ideas that make them meaningful.
Your book, Faith Versus Fact, stood out for its direct examination of the relationship between scientific inquiry and religious belief. By exploring the differences between evidence-based reasoning and faith, it raises important questions about how people understand the world, evaluate claims, and distinguish scientific explanations from religious perspectives. Its arguments invite readers to engage critically with one of the most enduring debates about knowledge and belief.
Through Prose House Magazine, we offer selected digital magazine features designed to highlight their central themes and introduce their stories and ideas to readers in an engaging way.
I would love to share more about how we could present Faith Versus Fact in our magazine. Would you be open to hearing a little more about the feature?
Best regards,
Shedrack
Head of Literary Partnerships
Prose House
Clues that it’s fake:
a. gmail address, not a professional address. Note too the word “contact” as part of the gmail address.
b. email address has name “shadrack” while in the rest of the letter the crook uses “shedrack”
c. The Prose House Magazine exists but is only about six pages long
d. A Google search for “Ben Shadrack Prose House” returns nothing
e. Pangram says it’s 100% written by AI if you leave out the salutation and signature:
I’m tempted to play along with this detestable man and his scheme to see how long it would take until they asked me for money, but I don’t have the time to waste. I just gave the guy a new fundament via email.
If you see something, say something.