Bookknocks is a scam: How they scammed around $21000 from 362 Authors
Bookknocks is a scam, and authors are strongly advised ignore it completely. It’s akin to a flock of sheep avoiding a wolf. Or, for those bold enough, it’s time to stand up against such deceptive practices. Our investigation into the site revealed alarming details. This dubious platform, operated from India by an individual named Diksha Sahu, is detrimental to authors.
To date, Bookknocks has allegedly scammed 362 authors and around $21000, primarily from the United States.
You can use Command+F or Ctrl+F to search for your name in the list below.
List of Authors Allegedly Scammed by Bookknocks
If you find your name in the list then open a dispute on Paypal to get your money back.
It’s time to expose their unscrupulous activities.
1. False Social Media Claim
When I visited the Bookknocks website, I was greeted with their bold statement: “Promoting your book to 100,000 followers”. Refer to the images below that highlight their claim. They assert they have 100,000 followers on social media. Even in their FAQ, they claim to have 100,000 followers.
Despite the absence of any direct links to social media accounts on the website, we embarked on a thorough investigation across various platforms.
From Twitter to Instagram, we scoured every major social media site to verify the authenticity of this website’s bold claim of having a hundred thousand followers.
Our goal was to uncover the truth and determine whether the website’s claims were genuine or a part of a deceitful strategy.
And here is the reality
Bogus Followers
They have 9000 cold followers on twitter and 7000 inactive cold followers on instagram. And these followers have no interest in books. So the 100000 followers who are readers is a clear cut lie written in bold as website’s headline.
Even the followers they have no interest in their tweets. Read more and you will find it.
2. False Tweet Impression Claims
Bookknocks, the alleged scam website, claims to offer a minimum of 10,000 impressions on tweets promoting your books. However, let’s examine how these Twitter followers engage with their tweets.
Below is their claim:
I’ve fact-checked their statements, and here are the findings straight from their Twitter timeline. Bookknocks claims 10,000 impressions and here the results:
- “Shadow Work” received 4 impressions.
- “Cocoa and Cream” garnered 8 impressions.
Our heartfelt condolences to authors Victoria Stevens and Deanie Humphrey, who unfortunately fell victim to a scam.
3. Fake Testimonials
Another indication that Bookknocks is a scam is the presence of fabricated testimonials on their website.
Did you notice that one of their purported clients is named “Adam Sandler” with an “e”?
Refer to the attached screenshot showcasing the testimonial from the Bookknocks website. It seems they have crafted these endorsements themselves, using fictitious names. They even misspelled “Adam Sandler’s” name.
NOTE: These individuals do not exist.
However, there is one person who does: “Peter Rush.” We spoke with him about his experience. He provided a screenshot of the payment he made to this questionable website’s PayPal account.
4. Peter Rush’s Experience
Peter Rush paid $69 to BookKnocks for his book promotion. However, after taking the money, they did not respond. Concerned, Peter investigated the website and discovered it was a scam. Consequently, he reported the site to GoDaddy, which promptly suspended the account.
You can read in the red circle the name of person running this scam, Diksha Sahu.
While the website was initially removed, it resurfaced 48 hours later on Hostinger, a different hosting service.
The site’s location on Hostinger was determined through a WHOIS domain search, which provides details about a website’s hosting and more.
5. Fake Company
As we delved deeper, we decided to verify the name of the organization, “Glorious Reads LLP”. An LLP in India is akin to an LLC in the United States. We searched the Indian Ministry of Commerce website for the incorporation details and the individuals behind this notorious company.
To our lack of surprise, no such company exists.
6. Fake Location
Their Twitter profile indicates that they are based in the United States. Let’s refer back to that image which displays their location. They’ve stated that their location is the United States, likely in an attempt to build trust and scam authors within the USA.
However, upon checking the domain on a WHOIS search, a different story emerges.
The location in question is Delhi, India. There is a phone number provided, but its authenticity is doubtful. Additionally, there is an email address, which is believed to belong to a budget web design agency.
The domain was purchased through GoDaddy.
The hosting nameservers are associated with Hostinger.
The alleged scammer’s location is New Delhi, India.
These 6 Points Prove that Bookknocks is a Scam
- False claims of social media followers
- Misrepresentation of social media impressions
- Fabricated testimonials
- Deceived Peter Rush
- Fraudulent company representation
- Misleading location details.
To date, Bookknocks has allegedly scammed 362 authors, primarily from the United States.
You can use Command+F or Ctrl+F to search for your name in the list below.
List of Authors Allegedly Scammed by Bookknocks
If you find your name in the list then open a dispute on Paypal to get your money back.
Would you keep getting scammed or do anything about it?
The question is would you and other authors keep getting scammed or do anything about it?
Here is what Ra’as al Ghul from Batman Begins has to be say about it
“Crime cannot be tolerated. Criminals thrive on the indulgence of society’s understanding
Ra’as al Ghul from Batman Begins
What’s Next?
After reading this post, you have two choices. I’ve invested time in research, curated images, written this blog post, and spent hours bringing this information to you. Now, the ball is in your court.
- You can choose to ignore it, go back to your daily life, and allow authors to continue being scammed.
- Alternatively, you can spare just 5 minutes of your time to help combat this scam.
If you’re leaning towards the latter, here are three simple steps to take that can potentially thwart the scammer:
STEP 1 – Start by reporting this scam it on Google here. This will only take a minute.
STEP 2. Next, draft an email to PayPal and send to phishing@paypal.com , you can reference this blog post and informing them about the fraudulent activity.
- Include scammer paypal email info@bookknocks.com
- Include scammer name Diksha Sahu
- Include Fake company name “Glorious Reads LLP”
- This might take around 3 minutes.
STEP 3. Lastly, share this post within the author community. This won’t take more than 30 seconds of your time.
In just 4 minutes and 30 seconds, you have the power to make a difference and stop this scam.
Authorvalley.com
Conclusion
It’s unequivocally established that Bookknocks is a scam website, having conned over 362 authors out of approximately $21,000. Authors are strongly urged to steer clear of such deceptive platforms that are riddled with red flags such as baseless claims, fabricated testimonials, and subpar website design.
To understand in-depth how these scams operate and ensnare unsuspecting authors, delve deeper into this post “A Book Marketing Scam That Is Eating Your Money” which elucidates their deceptive tactics.
To stay informed and protect yourself from book marketing scams, consider subscribing to our newsletter. Your vigilance and awareness are your best defense.
Thank you for dedicating your time to read this post and for taking steps to safeguard the author community.
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