獨立創作者請小心！假冒出版邀約陷阱
各位好，我想分享一件最近發生在我身上的事，希望大家提高警覺。
大約兩星期前，我收到一封 email，發件人自稱是「陳敏，Managing Director, Yilin Press（譯林出版社）」，說讀過我的《微故事：阿冰是三流》，想討論出版合作。這封信寫得很誠懇、很具體，提到我的粵語創作、有聲書、香港生活題材，看起來完全不像模板信。
我第一時間直接去譯林出版社網站，可惜的是，香港這邊因網絡問題，無法成功打開這個網站 http://www.yilin.com。
來信人的電郵不是 @yilin.com，而是 chen.yilinpress@gmail.com。不過，我身邊也有國內從事出版的朋友使用 Gmail 溝通，方便檔案分享，所以我當時沒有立刻否定，決定先回覆。
我回覆之後，對方進一步推薦一位「出版代理人」給我，說是「非常信任」的人，叫我直接聯絡。對方提供的 email 是：madison.hernick@unitedtalent.it.com
問題就出在這裡。
我查證之後發現：
* United Talent Agency（UTA）官方明確聲明，唯一合法的郵箱域名是 @unitedtalent.com，任何其他域名都不是來自 UTA
* Madison Hernick 本人確實是 UTA 的 coordinator，但她的官方郵箱是 madison.hernick@unitedtalent.com，而非 .it.com。
換句話說，有人利用真實的出版社社長身份，配上一個偽造的代理人郵箱，試圖將作者引向下一步詐騙。 下一步通常是要求付費、簽假合約，或者騙取作品版權。
我已經通知了 UTA 和譯林出版社，也在這裡提醒大家，如果收到類似的出版合作邀約，請留意：
* 對方使用的是什麼域名？與官方網站是否一致？
* 對方推薦的代理人、經紀人，是否真實存在？其官方聯絡方式是什麼？
* 任何要求你預付費用的出版合作，都是詐騙。
* 如果對方聲稱是本地機構，不妨親自上門確認一下。
這類騙局手法越來越精細，利用他人真實身份來進行一連串的詐騙。大家收到陌生電郵的時候，多花五分鐘查證，可能就避免了一個大坑。
謝謝大家
東加豆
2026年10月
Publishing Scam Alert
Hi everyone,
I’d like to share a recent experience to help keep other independent creators alert to a potential scam.
About two weeks ago, I received an email from someone claiming to be "Chen Min, Managing Director at Yilin Press" (a major publisher in China). The email expressed interest in discussing publishing opportunities for my micro-story, Ah Bing is Third-Rate. It was written with genuine detail—referencing my Cantonese content, audiobooks, and Hong Kong life themes—and felt far from a generic template email.
My first step was to check Yilin Press’s official website, but due to network access issues from Hong Kong, the site ([http://www.yilin.com](http://www.yilin.com)) couldn't be loaded.
The sender’s email address was `chen.yilinpress@gmail.com` rather than an official `@yilin.com` domain. However, since several of my contacts in mainland publishing regularly use Gmail for communication and file sharing, I didn't dismiss it right away and decided to reply politely.
After my response, the sender moved on to recommend a "publishing agent" whom they claimed to "trust deeply," advising me to reach out directly. The email address provided was:
`madison.hernick@unitedtalent.it.com`
This was the major red flag.
After verifying the details, I discovered:
*United Talent Agency (UTA) explicitly states on their official channels that their only legitimate email domain is `@unitedtalent.com`. Any other domain is unauthorized.
While Madison Hernick is indeed a genuine coordinator at UTA, her official email address ends in `@unitedtalent.com`, not `.it.com`.
In short, someone was using the real identity of a reputable publisher and coordinator to steer creators toward a fake agent domain—a setup typically leading to fraudulent advance fees, fake contracts, or copyright exploitation.
I have already reported this to both UTA and Yilin Press. For any fellow creators receiving similar publishing offers, please keep these checks in mind:
* Check the domain carefully: Does the email match the official website exactly?
* Verify the agent/contact: Is the recommended agent a real person, and do their official contact details match?
* Watch out for upfront fees: Any publishing arrangement requiring advance payment is almost certainly a scam.
* Confirm local presence: If the party claims to have a local office, consider visiting in person to verify.
Scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated by leveraging real people's identities and organizations. Taking an extra five minutes to verify details can save you from a major trap.
Stay safe and happy creating!
Tonkabean
2026 Oct
