ISSIMO does NOT buy movie rights to books. This is a SCAM.
A certain company that “helps” authors get their book published on Amazon then pretends to have found a production company that wants to buy their movie rights. They have impersonated my company and myself, with fraudulent emails from phony websites with my name and logo.
It’s really frustrating to have worked for 18 years to build an agency that’s based on our reputation and our good name and to have someone else abuse that to hurt people.
Here are some red flags to look out for:
• Email account is from a different domain than the main one they are claiming to be from.
• Never want to do video conference like Zoom or show their faces.
• You are asked to send money, share bank account info, or any sensitive data.
• The offer is “too good to be true” or too fast or too eager – isn’t within normal offers for similar projects.
Tips:
• Verify from different sources whether the people claiming to work at the company actually do. Reach out via their social media or contact them through their website, not just the email chain you’ve been sent.
• Look up not just the principle, but any employee claiming to work at the company on LinkedIn. Do they show up?
• Trust your gut – does this pass the smell test? If it seems fishy, double and triple check before proceeding.
Thanks to Yoko Consulting for documenting and sharing how to shut down fraudulent sites impersonating your business: How to Stop Scams Impersonating your company
Here’s a link to file a cyber crime report with the FBI: IC3.gov