A Very Curious Case Phishing

Gord_in_Toronto · 10th January 2022, 11:34 AM

Continuous stalking and phishing for over four years.

For years, a mysterious figure has been stealing books before their release. Is it espionage? Revenge? Or a complete waste of time?

https://www.vulture.com/2022/01/stea...e-mystery.html

Someone has dedicated his life to doing this for reasons unknown.

plague311 · 10th January 2022, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by Gord_in_Toronto

Continuous stalking and phishing for over four years.

For years, a mysterious figure has been stealing books before their release. Is it espionage? Revenge? Or a complete waste of time?

https://www.vulture.com/2022/01/stea...e-mystery.html

Someone has dedicated his life to doing this for reasons unknown.

I got started reading it but man that's a long article.

Everyone loves social engineering stories lol. I'll have to finish it later today. Seems like an extremely intricate phish.

Skeptic Ginger · 10th January 2022, 03:50 PM

Word in my writer's forum is he was stealing from big name authors and it could have been to either have an advantage in the publishing industry or he was trying to act like a big shot in the agency he worked for.

I'll find a link, it will make more sense.

Gord_in_Toronto · 10th January 2022, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger

Word in my writer's forum is he was stealing from big name authors and it could have been to either have an advantage in the publishing industry or he was trying to act like a big shot in the agency he worked for.

I'll find a link, it will make more sense.

I'd be interested to see that as the article says there is no evidence he did anything with the materials he stole.

Skeptic Ginger · 10th January 2022, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by Gord_in_Toronto

I'd be interested to see that as the article says there is no evidence he did anything with the materials he stole.

That was the reason for the speculation as to what he wanted. That and he worked for Simon and Schuster, UK as a "rights coordinator", (I believe a low level job though one source identified him as a publishing exec). Impressing his bosses with his knowledge of upcoming deals and/or as yet unpublished manuscripts seems like a possibility. The other is simply he wanted to read the unpublished stuff. I doubt it's the latter.

Irish Times

Quote:

Early knowledge in a rights department could be an advantage for an employee trying to prove his worth. Publishers compete and bid to publish work abroad, for example, and knowing what’s coming, who is buying what and how much they’re paying could give companies an edge.

“What he’s been stealing,” said Kelly Farber, a literary scout, “is basically a huge amount of information that any publisher anywhere would be able to use to their advantage.”

The Guardian

Quote:

Before Bernardini’s arrest, it was widely suspected that the culprit was a literary scout, engaging in industrial espionage. A scout’s currency is advance information: a heads-up on the next big thing can give their clients the edge when it comes to pre-empts and bidding wars on foreign or screen rights. ...

Quote:

... Perhaps the thief’s initial motive was no more sinister than this: he was hungry for a new story. But the longer the scam continued, the more it appears to have become a power game, with the scammer taking evident pleasure in manipulating some of the most senior figures in publishing and later turning abusive when his efforts were met with suspicion.

Gord_in_Toronto · 11th January 2022, 05:18 AM

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger

That was the reason for the speculation as to what he wanted. That and he worked for Simon and Schuster, UK as a "rights coordinator", (I believe a low level job though one source identified him as a publishing exec). Impressing his bosses with his knowledge of upcoming deals and/or as yet unpublished manuscripts seems like a possibility. The other is simply he wanted to read the unpublished stuff. I doubt it's the latter.

Irish Times

The Guardian

Thanks for the links. But as I read, we still don't have a reason, only speculation. If it is him, I wonder if he'll come clean and give his reasons -- if he himself knows at this point. I suggest the effort involved indicates some sort of mental problem.

10th January 2022, 11:34 AM	#1
Gord_in_Toronto Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 22,499	A Very Curious Case Phishing Continuous stalking and phishing for over four years. For years, a mysterious figure has been stealing books before their release. Is it espionage? Revenge? Or a complete waste of time? https://www.vulture.com/2022/01/stea...e-mystery.html Someone has dedicated his life to doing this for reasons unknown. Update: On January 5, 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced that it had arrested Filippo Bernardini, a 29-year old Italian man, for allegedly conducting the scheme outlined in this story.
	__________________ "Reality is what's left when you cease to believe." Philip K. Dick

10th January 2022, 12:24 PM	#2
plague311 Great minds think... Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: North Dakota Posts: 12,716	Originally Posted by Gord_in_Toronto Continuous stalking and phishing for over four years. For years, a mysterious figure has been stealing books before their release. Is it espionage? Revenge? Or a complete waste of time? https://www.vulture.com/2022/01/stea...e-mystery.html Someone has dedicated his life to doing this for reasons unknown. Update: On January 5, 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced that it had arrested Filippo Bernardini, a 29-year old Italian man, for allegedly conducting the scheme outlined in this story. I got started reading it but man that's a long article. Everyone loves social engineering stories lol. I'll have to finish it later today. Seems like an extremely intricate phish.
	__________________ "Circumcision and death threats go together like milk and cookies." - William Parcher “There are times when the mind is dealt such a blow it hides itself in insanity. While this may not seem beneficial, it is. There are times when reality is nothing but pain, and to escape that pain the mind must leave reality behind.” - Patrick Rothfuss

10th January 2022, 06:56 PM	#4
Gord_in_Toronto Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 22,499	Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger Word in my writer's forum is he was stealing from big name authors and it could have been to either have an advantage in the publishing industry or he was trying to act like a big shot in the agency he worked for. I'll find a link, it will make more sense. I'd be interested to see that as the article says there is no evidence he did anything with the materials he stole.
	__________________ "Reality is what's left when you cease to believe." Philip K. Dick

11th January 2022, 05:18 AM	#6
Gord_in_Toronto Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 22,499	Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger That was the reason for the speculation as to what he wanted. That and he worked for Simon and Schuster, UK as a "rights coordinator", (I believe a low level job though one source identified him as a publishing exec). Impressing his bosses with his knowledge of upcoming deals and/or as yet unpublished manuscripts seems like a possibility. The other is simply he wanted to read the unpublished stuff. I doubt it's the latter. Irish Times The Guardian Thanks for the links. But as I read, we still don't have a reason, only speculation. If it is him, I wonder if he'll come clean and give his reasons -- if he himself knows at this point. I suggest the effort involved indicates some sort of mental problem.
	__________________ "Reality is what's left when you cease to believe." Philip K. Dick

10th January 2022, 03:50 PM	#3
Skeptic Ginger Nasty Woman Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 92,074	Word in my writer's forum is he was stealing from big name authors and it could have been to either have an advantage in the publishing industry or he was trying to act like a big shot in the agency he worked for. I'll find a link, it will make more sense.

10th January 2022, 09:26 PM	#5
Skeptic Ginger Nasty Woman Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 92,074	Originally Posted by Gord_in_Toronto I'd be interested to see that as the article says there is no evidence he did anything with the materials he stole. That was the reason for the speculation as to what he wanted. That and he worked for Simon and Schuster, UK as a "rights coordinator", (I believe a low level job though one source identified him as a publishing exec). Impressing his bosses with his knowledge of upcoming deals and/or as yet unpublished manuscripts seems like a possibility. The other is simply he wanted to read the unpublished stuff. I doubt it's the latter. Irish Times Quote: Early knowledge in a rights department could be an advantage for an employee trying to prove his worth. Publishers compete and bid to publish work abroad, for example, and knowing what’s coming, who is buying what and how much they’re paying could give companies an edge. “What he’s been stealing,” said Kelly Farber, a literary scout, “is basically a huge amount of information that any publisher anywhere would be able to use to their advantage.” The Guardian Quote: Before Bernardini’s arrest, it was widely suspected that the culprit was a literary scout, engaging in industrial espionage. A scout’s currency is advance information: a heads-up on the next big thing can give their clients the edge when it comes to pre-empts and bidding wars on foreign or screen rights. ... Quote: ... Perhaps the thief’s initial motive was no more sinister than this: he was hungry for a new story. But the longer the scam continued, the more it appears to have become a power game, with the scammer taking evident pleasure in manipulating some of the most senior figures in publishing and later turning abusive when his efforts were met with suspicion.