We have seen an alarming rise in scam attempts in which hackers impersonate Hachette Australia employees, authors, and agents in an attempt to attain unpublished manuscripts or personal information.

Some of these scams are quite sophisticated. The hackers are adept impersonators, comfortable with “editorial” speak, and may refer to recent events in the industry to legitimise their requests. Hackers can easily simulate staff with impersonated domain emails. Sometimes the difference in a hacker’s email address is so subtle that it is easy to miss.

It is easy to fall victim to hackers if you are not vigilant. The following cybersecurity awareness tips and reminders are intended to protect you against these attacks.

Be aware of phishing attacks by email:

• Be aware of typos in domain names on received emails
• Do not click links if you are not sure of the source
• Do not reply directly back to original email requests for documents or information. Call the source directly or start a separate email with the known email address
• Hover over the email address to be sure it matches the displayed email address
• Be cautious of urgent requests for sensitive information and documents (e.g., draft manuscripts, royalty statements, tax information) and follow the guidelines for sharing those documents below

Be aware of other social engineering attacks (i.e., by phone, on social media):

• Do not share information over the phone if you are not confident of the source on the other end
• Verify the phone number you are speaking to, call back if needed
• Never share credentials or personal information
• Do not click links in social media posts or messages if you are not sure of the source

Sharing documents:

• Call the person you are sending the file to and confirm they are expecting it
• Consider if there is a portal you can access that has the document instead of emailing a copy

We will never ask prospective authors for any form of payment (such as a contribution to print costs) as part of an offer of publication. We will never request bank account information as part of the manuscript submission process.  If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of an agreement or an email purporting to be from an Hachette employee or claiming a connection to Hachette, email us at reception@hachette.com.au. If you’ve been a victim of a scam, we encourage you to contact law enforcement right away.