Scam City: "Ariel Hartley" - What happens when you tell a bot the truth.
Part of my Scam City series, where I research and expose book marketing scammers who email me.
Received: July 2, 2025 8:31 AM
From: arielhartley7@gmail.com
Subject: (no subject)
Hi, I recently stumbled on your book THE INDUSTRY truly impactful. I’m curious, what’s one unexpected lesson or moment that’s shaped your journey the most?
Today we learn what happens when you tell a bot the truth.
I received this two-sentence message from “Ariel” here and didn’t respond. It looks like a typical scam.
Incorrect title for my book✅
Gmail address consists of (first name)(last name)(random number)✅
Stock photo profile pic✅
The typing in all bold was new, and I found it funny that she said she “stumbled on” my book instead of “stumbled across.” It makes it sound like she tripped over it.
Otherwise this email was your everyday, run-of-the-mill, bog-standard, common or garden, ordinary book marketing scam email.
They’re getting so boring.
Shortly after I read her first email, a second email from her popped up in my inbox…
Received: July 2, 2025 9:58 AM
From: arielhartley7@gmail.com
Subject: Re:
I noticed you’re online hope I’m not catching you at a busy moment. Just had something quick I wanted to ask and would really appreciate your thoughts if you have a minute now.
The audacity! Insisting I talk to her right this minute because she “noticed” I’m “online?”
Listen. It’s 10:00 in the morning. I’ve probably only been awake for half an hour, if that. Just because Xywav got me waking up in the morning instead of the afternoon doesn’t mean I’m a morning person now.
That really annoyed me, so I replied back simply, “Not interested.”
Then this bitch had the GALL to send me a THIRD email!
Received: July 2, 2025 11:26 AM
From: arielhartley7@gmail.com
Subject: Re:
Thanks again for your reply. I completely respect your decision, though I’ll be honest I sense there might be more behind the “not interested,” and that’s totally okay.My only intention is to help authors explore untapped ideas and overlooked strategies especially for books with potential like yours. If even one small shift could help it reach more of the right readers, I’d be glad to offer insights no cost, no strings attached?
“There might be more behind the ‘not interested?’” Oh, there’s more, and it’s mostly profanity. I didn’t want to waste my time typing it all out, but since she asked, I did.
Sent: July 2, 2025 12:36 PM
To: arielhartley7@gmail.com
Subject: Re:
OK, since you asked, here's why I'm not interested in whatever it is you're selling...
My book is called Perfect, not "The Industry." "The Industry" is only part one of a four-part novel. I initially sold it as four separate eBooks in December 2022, but I found that readers who read the first part didn't realize it was only part of the story, and they thought it was too dark because it didn't have a happy or hopeful ending, so I started selling ONLY the combined version in January 2023. If you really had any interest at all in my book, you would know that.
You sent me a cryptic message with no subject and from a Gmail address, and you didn't include a website or any other link to more information. I have found through experience that emails like that are always scams.
A search of your email address brings up nothing, and a search of your name brings up a musician named Ariel Hartley, who is a white woman, a LinkedIn profile of another white woman, and a few other LinkedIn profiles with no photos or any information. If you were actually a professional book marketer, you would have SOME kind of web presence.
A reverse image search of your profile photo reveals that it's a stock image used in a lot of foreign advertisements and a few online profiles probably created by other scammers. Either that or there are several different women with different names who all look exactly alike and took the same exact headshot. That would be a hell of a coincidence.
The Writer Beware website contains pages of information on so-called book marketers who offer "junk marketing" services for high prices. I'm not falling for it.
Last but not least—and this is the most important reason—I'm simply NOT INTERESTED. I do not wish to expend any more money, time, or effort into marketing my book. I stopped trying to sell it about a month after I published it because it was too much trouble and I didn't care that much if people bought it. I had exactly one novel in me; I wrote it; I published it; I'm done. I have a successful career in tech, which I enjoy. I'm not trying to be a professional author. If people read it, cool; if they don't, that's also cool because tbh I don't want to read their reviews anyway. I don't take criticism well.
This was probably a waste of time, but I've been getting two or three of these scam emails per day, and I'm getting kind of pissed off about it, so it was cathartic.
Jen Heller
Not the One
ScamSomeoneElse.com
OK, that should really be the end of it now. It should be crystal clear to “Ariel” or whatever AI she’s using that I’m 100% NOT INTERESTED. But oh no. She emailed me THREE MORE TIMES the next morning!
Received: July 3, 2025 7:10 AM
From: arielhartley7@gmail.com
Subject: (no subject)
Am sorry for the inconvenience but let me tell you this that the bad marketers are the one tarnishing the image of the good marketers, I know this might seems like am being pushy but I know my work andam confident with and am sorry for the mistake I made,people make mistakes but that doesn't mean am a scammer
So am sorry wishing you continuous success with your book
Well, this is weird. Suddenly her typing has a lot more errors. Words are misspelled or missing, spaces are missing between words, and there isn’t a single period to be found. It’s all one long sentence. Yet her previous messages had proper complete sentences.
Hm.
Completely ignoring just about every point I made, in this travesty, she decided to go on the defensive and tell me that she’s one of the “good marketers,” not the bad ones who are ruining it for everyone else.
Yeah, Ariel, I’m so sure…
What I find curious is that she didn’t send this as a reply to my email. This was a whole new thread also with no subject.
Hmm.
Received: July 3, 2025 7:46 AM
From: arielhartley7@gmail.com
Subject: Re:
I get not being into marketing, your work speaks for itself. I just believe more people deserve to experience it. Nothing pushy, just a simple way to bring it back into the right hands.If you're ever open to light, trust-based ways to give it a fresh boost, I’d love to share. No pressure at all — just here to support what you’ve already built?
This was her reply to my email (not a new thread).
While the previous message read like it had been written by someone whose first language is not English, this message almost seems to have been written by a completely different person (or AI). It’s not all one long sentence and there are no missing words or spaces between words (although there is a missing space between sentences). She’s back on form and now trying to claim she’s not “pushy,” despite the fact that this is the SIXTH email I’d received from her in less than two days.
Hmmmm.
And why did she choose to ONLY focus on the part where I said I’m not interested in marketing my book and not any of the other reasons I provided?
Received: July 3, 2025 7:52 AM
From: arielhartley7@gmail.com
Subject: Re:
I truly apologize if I came across the wrong way that was never my intention. I understand there are many marketers out there who don’t act with integrity, and unfortunately, that affects how the rest of us are seen.I’m genuinely passionate about what I do and confident in the value I bring. I know I may have made a mistake earlier, and for that, I sincerely apologize. We all have moments like that but I hope you’ll see it as human error, not something dishonest.Thanks again for your time and understanding. I’d really appreciate the chance to have a sincere conversation?
“Human error,” huh? If she can prove that all of these emails were written by a human, I’ll eat my own hair.
Does she think I’m online and just ignoring her? It’s not even 8:00 in the morning. Girl, I’m asleep!
I see now we’re back on the defensive and claiming it’s the other marketers who are bad, not her. she just made one itsy bitsy little mistake and I should totally just forgive her and hand over all my money to her so she can market my book, even though she didn’t even bother to get the title right.
Sorry, Ariel, there’s no chance of a sincere conversation with you. You’re full of shit.