I got a very nice email out of the blue this morning from “Elena Ferrante, an author,” who said complimentary things about my book Tree Fall with Birdsong. Initially, I was pleased, but it didn’t take long before I got my guard up. I could almost handle someone calling themselves “an author” without much more explanation, but the things she said about my book quickly began to sound like an AI mashup of the blurbs on the back cover. Nothing was that specific, but several phrases echoed things I’d written.
I decided not to reply, but instead did a search. Elena Ferrante appears to have a website and to have written a book or two, maybe more — I didn’t spend too much time on this. Her wikipedia page is unbelievably detailed for someone known to write behind an elusive pseudonym (according to Wikipedia). That did make me wonder whether she really exists, but she may (or someone may legitimately write under that name). But when I searched on “AI email from Elanea Ferrante,” I found other references to a Fake Elena Ferrante, who sends writers messages, has short conversations, and then disappears. She (he or it?) apparently has multiple gmail addresses with her name, a number, and @gmail.com.
It’s a little unclear what the scam is, but maybe Fake Elena Ferrante just wants to see who will reply so they can put that address in their spam email list and send more garbage. Or maybe someone just amuses themselves tormenting writers with fake emails. It’s a little hard to tell what the game is, but maybe some writers really take the bait and get scammed for nonexistent services. Or maybe Elena Ferrante is just really starved for attention or thinks this is a way to get some. I didn’t reply, but I am writing about it.
I’ll never know. Now that I’ve written about it, that message will go in my trash, and I’ll chalk it up as another lesson in all the fake writers, agents, publicists, etc. who seem to be contacting writers in flattering emails, trying to sell you something or just trying to get you to take the bait.
Be careful out there, folks!
And Elena Ferrante, if you really exist, I doubt you’ve ever read my book, but if you ever do, I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the kind words your duppleganger sent in advance, even if they sounded a lot like me.
Kendall Dunkelberg 
Thank you for writing about this as well as the ridiculous number of scam emails coming at authors. I received a similar email about my book from fake Elena. I too looked up her name as the comments about how I blend my personal experience with universal truth don’t resonate with my actual book. I’m sincerely thankful I haven’t lived the experience my characters have in my fictional novel. I am skeptical about any email I receive in my author inbox as they all read like AI. It is clear that they are only scanning the blurb and haven’t “read” my actual book. 90% of what I’ve received in my inbox is AI garbage. I am thankful for the three fan emails I have received so far. I was very happy to respond to them especially since they didn’t try to sell me something in a follow on. 😉
Hello, yes the fake Elena has also been corresponding with me. Her kind and somewhat perceptive remarks about my last book hooked me at first. I don’t know what the game plan is here, but certainly the writer knows how vulnerable we are to praise.
I agree that it’s hard to see a game plan, though I wonder if the goal is just to get a reply and then send other kinds of phishing to someone identified as a real account. Maybe Fake Elenal never acts like a scammer herself. She is persistent, though. I’ve been ignoring her praise for awhile, but she keeps sending the same messages, even though I never did reply.