Thoughts From A Devonshire Farmhouse

THOUGHTS FROM A DEVONSHIRE FARMHOUSE

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My theme this month: FAKE OR FACT? TRUE OR FALSE?

Propaganda is nothing new – the Normans, post-conquest in 1066, were pretty good at it, so, I guess were the Romans and the Greeks, and for all we know Stone Age people as well. (You can just imagine the tall tales someone told in order to cajole those poor chaps into hauling the Blue Stones all the way from Wales to Salisbury Plain to build Stonehenge can’t you?)

With the rise of Social Media, Fake News is now rife – conspiracies which quickly get shared and believed and once ‘out there’ spread even more, leaving the truth very difficult to unravel in many cases. The obvious nonsense is easy to see through – the Flat Earth claims, for instance, and all that nonsense about Armstrong landing on the moon to have been faked.

Or Putin claiming Ukraine started the war?

Is there a difference between often stupid - and very see-through - fake claims and outright lies? But how easy or hard is it to tell the difference? And what about the not so obvious, especially now that A.I. is becoming so easy for anyone to use?

I’m talking about Fake this month because I’m embarrassed to say I was conned recently. Nothing drastic – no money or data compromise involved, just the personal red face of falling for it. But I was flattered and although that little bell was ting-a-linging at the back of my mind, I did fall for it. And then, on the day I started writing this I was almost caught again. Thanks to Fake Number One, Fake Number Two was deleted and the sender blocked. But I did pause. I did wonder. I did, for a few seconds consider replying just to make sure...

Let me explain:

Fake Number One: A little while ago I received a message on Twitter (OK not the best place for truth and fact!) from a very well-known author (Jean Auel) whose first novel came out years ago – 1980. (Laugh: that date is definite fact! I checked.) She went on to write a series called The Clan of the Cave Bear and sold millions of copies. I read that first book while still working at the library – enjoyed it, although some of the ‘history’ included in the tale is now somewhat out of date. (But that’s not the point.)

I was thrilled and excited to be contacted by this famous author ... 'famous'? Another warning clue? Although I did think “Why would she be wanting to make contact with me?” As much as I hate to admit it, I’m a nobody really. But this author is elderly, and maybe did want to e-chat with fellow authors? That is entirely plausible, I do it all the time (hah! And I’m elderly! Sort of...) I e-chat with lots of authors, some well-known, some not so well-known.

I tweeted a message back and suggested email would be better than Twitter. Didn’t get a response at first, but a couple of days later, up pops a lovely email into my inbox. The g-mail email address looked genuine to me, the email looked genuine, although not signed or anything, just a basic “So nice to make contact.” Again, I did wonder... but I replied in my usual chatty style (saying nothing that I haven’s chatted about to others or on line.) We exchanged a couple of similar 'chatty' emails, but even so, that nagging feeling of Is this real? kept ticking and ting-a-linging away.

How do you actually ask though? “Hello, [famous author’s name] I hope you don’t mind me asking, but are you for real?” I mean the answer’s going to come back as ‘Yes!’ isn’t it?

After these couple of exchanges I started to feel even more unsure and ran things past a couple of friends (genuine ones – we’ve met in person!) I did a Google search. Hmm Ms Auel is now quite elderly and as of a couple of years ago didn't even possess an email address. Then I had a reply from the possible fake which definitely proved that my first instinct was 100% correct, and almost at the same time my suspicions were confirmed by one of the ‘genuine’ friends. (Thanks Alison Morton.)

So what tipped the balance? Said fake author claimed how much she enjoyed reading my latest release:

Helen, I had the chance to look through A Mischief of Murder and I must say, it’s such a delightful and engaging read, your storytelling really shines. It’s fascinating how your nautical adventures and cosy mysteries balance each other so well. How has your experience been in reaching readers and getting your books out into the world? (Now why would such a big author ask me that?)

Can you spot it, though? That ‘oh ho, this isn’t real’ giveaway? For a start a genuine author/reader would have mentioned the entire series, or at least the first one in the series (A Mirror Murder). And no genuine author of that calibre would be asking about how I do my marketing. Obvious, this is a spammer trying to tout for marketing business. I’ve had quite a few spam mails about ‘we can review your book and get hundreds of sales’ type emails these past few weeks. They are a damned nuisance! (I occasionally answer one or two, asking if they are offering a service for free. Funny how they never are!)

But did you spot it?! The BIG giveaway?

The supposed author is American. Americans spell cosy as cozy. And, looking back over the few emails, the wording seems somewhat stilted, very ‘English English’ and not chatty personal. It's A.I generated!

I was genuinely disappointed, as I enjoyed this author’s books, and I stupidly fell for the flattery. I strung the sender along for a little while – not giving any important data away, then blocked.

I string telephone spam callers along if I’m not too busy. My record is keeping one of them talking for 25 minutes. Makes me laugh when they get cross for wasting their time... I mean they phoned me! But these callers are a doddle to spot – even pre-recorded voice ones. The pauses aren’t right for a start, there’s often clicking and you go round in a loop if you say the wrong answer. (Always make a wrong answer at the start of such a conversation - I had one this very morning about Government funded heating assistance:

Q: "Are you the home owner?"

A: "I'm a seagull." (or say anything as silly.)

A long pause. A couple of clicks. Line went dead.

Or:

Q. “What loft insulation do you have?”

A. “Mostly goose feathers and straw”

Q.(after a pause) “When was it installed? We’re offering a free survey to upgrade.”

Oh pull the other leg it’s connected to Big Ben’s bell...

Another giveaway, the woman's voice is always the same. I happen to recognise it because the accent and cadence is just like that of someone I know (and don't like much!)

Then this morning Fake Number two came via email. Alarm bell.

Now, as much as I like Penelope Lively's wonderful novels, I can't see her emailing me out of the blue wanting to 'chat to another author' can you? Yes the gmail + a number typical email account , not a personal author name. Yes the stilted, too precise A.I. speak...

(Play background music from Jaws...)

I deleted and blocked. Yet still at the back of my mind I'm thinking... "But what if it WAS her?"

And before I finish, I must make a comment about Andrew Mountbatten Windsor - formerly prince. I'm not sure he can be accused of paedophilia - according to British law it doesn't seem that any of the young ladies he 'used' were under 16, nor is the sex trade (brothel-keeping etc) illegal BUT whether all this was consensually legal or non-consensual illegal is, actually irrelevant because the man has obviously LIED about his relationship with Epstein, LIED about knowing/not knowing these women, and has continued to LIE. If he didn't do anything illegal - and he isn't a married man, so he's not even betraying a wife - why does he continue to LIE?

Hold your hand up mate, tell the truth, apologise, then bugger off to some remote island and live with your conscience. Although I've a feeling he doesn't have one.

And just for the record, I think King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Kate are wonderful. (Oh and Princess Anne.) Has anyone thought of using the Tower of London? A fitting place for him I think.

It's Andrew's daughters I feel sorry for. What do they do? Support him or turn away from their own father?

So...

Just how do we spot these very good fakes that are doing the rounds on social media and dropping into our email inboxes? I guess the best thing to do is never give away anything important – bank details, address etc and... don't fall for it...