The Big Con: The Story of a Book to Film Scam, the Victims, Other Writer Scams, and How to Avoid Being a Victim is about the discovery of a scam and meeting the victims. The scammers created an elaborate fraud, in which authors with dreams of turning their books into films were duped into believing a company could pitch their projects to executives at top film companies. As a result, the victims would pay more and more to write the material needed to make a pitch, such as a script, logline/synopsis, and show bible. But the scam was that the company used imposter executives at real companies, so their pitches went nowhere, though they might have real potential if presented to real executives.

The book describes the investigation that revealed the scam. Then, it introduces 10 of the victims and their projects and discusses the many scams targeting writers and self-publishers. Finally, it discusses how to recognize a scam and avoid becoming a victim, and what to do if you are scammed, including possibly getting back any money you have lost.

The Big Con will be a documentary film featuring many of the victims.

The book has received many endorsements, including these:

“It’s appalling that scammers dash the hopes and dreams of book and script writers, as well as take their money. And some books and scripts have real potential. I’m also appalled as a publicist that the scammers use what real publicists do to promote a fake scheme. The Big Con provides an illuminating look at this scam.” (Jana Collins, CEO, Jones & O’Malley PR Agency, Los Angeles, CA)

“There are so many internet scammers these days. The Big Con does a great job of exposing some of them and featuring the victims of one of these scams.” (Gustavo Sandi, Insights Online Digital Architects, Oakland, California)

Gini Graham Scott, PhD, JD, is a nationally known writer, consultant, speaker, and seminar leader, specializing in business and work relationships, professional and personal development, social trends, popular culture, science, and crime. She has published over 50 books with major publishers. She is the founder of Changemakers Publishing, featuring 150+ books on work, business, psychology, self-help, and social trends. She has worked with dozens of clients on self-help, business books, memoirs, and film scripts.