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One of my giveaways ended late last week and I emailed all of the winners. When I had heard back from all but one of them two days later, I headed over to the remaining winner's blog and posted a comment to let them know that they won and ask them to email me with their info. They did. AND SO DID SOMEONE ELSE.
I got an email from another woman, who had obviously seen the comment I posted and decided that it would be just fine to claim to be the one who won the book. She used the real winner's blog title as her email subject! What nerve! Like I wouldn't know the email address and name of the person who did win. Really, what were the chances that I wouldn't figure this out? It would not have gotten by a bright four year old. Okay, I admit that at first I thought that I had made a mistake, but the truth dawned fairly quickly.
It's just a book, for crying out loud, go and buy it!
Now we have identity thieves in blogland. Unbelievable.
Wait, it gets better. I emailed her and she had the incredible chutzpah to reply! This is what she said: "I think you investigated well. I'll be careful in the future."
Can you believe that? Turns out this person is a follower of the real winner's blog and HAS A BLOG OF HER OWN.
I should totally out her, but I'm too nice. I hope she is ashamed of herself.
So this is a word to the wise. Sadly, there is at least one dishonest blogger out there. Beware.
44 comments:
O Carey, how awful for you. Now we'll all have to be more careful because of one greedy person.
How tacky! I can't imagine doing something like that. It's a good thing for the real winner that you are a thoughtful person. We'll all have to be very mindful in the future.
I'm not sure you should be so nice. I'm for outing the liar. How does something like that even occur to people? How did you find out about her blog?
WOW! I cannot believe that!! Now we're all going to be looking at each other suspiciously. ;)
How crazy!
wow that is insane!!! and here i thought spammers who didn't leave info was the worst problem! this is why i insist that people either leave their email address in their entry or at least have their email linked in their profile or name. i can't believe that!
lol out her!
That's unbelievable! I would never think of doing something like that. I don't know if I could be as nice as you are being.
Wow. That's crazy. Something like that just never would have occurred to me.
I can't even believe something like that! I guess this means I need to be more vigilant when I check my contest winners. I sort of take for granted that they are who they say they are when they send me their addresses. I don't want someone stealing something from a real winner.
I can't believe she said "I'll be more careful in the future," -- so she admits she'll continue to do this?!!? that is despicable.
That is just crazy!
Well, she sent me her name and address in an attempt to obtain the book.
So I emailed the actual winner and asked her if she knew this person, thinking that possibly there was more than one person who worked on the blog (I know some blogs have more than one contributor and I didn't want to jump to any conclusions).
The winner wrote back to say, no, she is a solo blogger but she had found the woman in her own followers and that she has a blog, too.
It is pathetic, really. How sad that she should feel the need to try something like this. I didn't get her blog name, it is possible that she isn't a BOOK blogger but has some other type of blog.
The scam artist is forever banned from my giveaways, I can tell you that!
Oh my word! That's really despicable. I've started asking for an e-mail or way to contact the winner and contact them before I post that they've won. I did it mainly after a couple winners never got back to me (blog posts and e-mails) but I think it would be helpful in this situation, too.
Hopefully whoever did this is suitably ashamed and won't try it again.
How terrible! And then to comment back like she did? What nerve!
OMG! How terrible. I can't believe it. I hope that doesn't happen again.
Unbelievable, we have built up such a wonderful community and then someone has to go and try to be a thief! Yes, if you are reading this, claiming you are the winner when your not is stealing!
Wow, her reply is just unbelievable!!
I am so disgusted!! I wanted to thank carey so much for being so awesome and for not going the easy route and just giving it to her! Thanks Carey So soo much!! =) <3
Wow, that's shocking! I can't imagine ever trying that, and she didn't even say she was wrong, just that she would be more careful about cheating people out of the books they've won in the future! We'll have to be more careful when monitoring giveaway winners in the future.
I can't believe she emailed you back. That's seriously ridiculous. She's ballsy I'll give her that. She needs to be outed big time. It's a freaking book, it's not like it is some one of a kind deal.
Personally, someone that brazen who admits to it and says they'll be more careful, meaning they are going to do it again, I think you should out them! That will ensure it WON'T happen again.
I agree with above - she's going to try it again. How horrible!
L. Diane Wolfe
www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
www.spunkonastick.net
www.thecircleoffriends.net
As much as I love a free book, I am pretty surprised that someone would lie to try and get one.
How horribly dishonest!!!
Wow, that's really crazy. And sad.
When I do a giveaway I require that the entrants leave their email address or have one linked to their ID. No email, I don't count the entry. So I personally email all of the winners and wait for their replies. I don't post the winners on my blog until everyone has been notified.
That part of my system works fine. This particular time I was missing just that one and decided to leave a comment. I'll never do that again. In the future, I will email once, send a follow up if I don't get a response and if I still get no reply, I'll draw another winner.
I've never posted winners on my blog and waited for them to contact me, thank goodness. I would have never thought that something like this could happen but it would seem more likely if winners were announced that way.
Oh my gosh! That's just awful. I wonder if it's worked for her in the past.
that is terrible...why on earth would someone do that!
I can't believe this. How awful!
--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
That's ridiculous. I can't believe she would actually do that.
Shame, Shame...know you're name! What a shady chick! She's lucky it wasn't me cause I would shout her name to the heavens and back!
Oh, that's just nasty. Takes the joy out of the giveaway for you and the real winner - and does the counterfeit feel good? Nasty. Sorry this happened.
Sad, gosh that's sad
For your sake, I'm glad you caught it...
For the other person's sake, I hope they have learned a lesson or are ashamed of themselves.
OMG---I can't even believe someone would think to do something like that. That is really awful--sorry it had to happen to you. Geez, what next.
She should be ashamed of herself and thankful that you're a classy broad and didn't oust her to the rest of us. Amazing what people will do. I'm glad you realized it in time.
Wow - I can't believe that someone actually thought they would get away with that! Unbelievable!
That is just horrible! If not outing her publicly, you may want to pass her name on to one or two friends who run contests privately.. just as a heads up to them :( Good for you for catching that!
Wow...
Whoa! I never would have thought that someone would try that.
Wow! I can't believe she did that and then had the gall to admit she's probably going to do it again. Geeze.
Holy cow. You have more restraint than I do....I'd totally out her!
I'm just now finding this post, and I'm so sorry that this happened to you. I can't imagine what would go through someone's head to want to cheat and steal like that.
As far as outing the person...as someone who hosts contests of course I'm curious about who it is. On the other hand I think it was a very generous and kind thing you did by not outing her. I just hope she has some sense of decency and doesn't do it again. From her email reply that doesn't seem likely, but one can hope that she would learn from her mistakes.
Totally unbelievable! I can't believe that someone would try to do this. Is she really too cheap to buy her own books? She should really be ashamed of herself. This person truly has no class.
Hi Carey
How awful! It's just a book, how much can it cost--did she think it would be okay? Stealing is stealing, and it should not have happened. Just because she was unsuccessful in her theft doesn't make it any less.
Dottie
*jaw drops*
OMG. My faith in humanity, which is already lacking, has plummeted to desperate levels.
How absolutely VILE. Good for you for blogging about it- I hope the wretch who tried to thieve away the books is ashamed of herself. Disgusting.
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