Some of you have already seen my original post on this story, first published on Nov. 18, 2024, but I’m keeping it alive because it’s important as information, and as an educational tool. Since I published it, I’ve received emails from eight other creatives who almost got scammed, except they paused to do some online research and quickly ended up at my post.
For this post I’m simply publishing all eight emails, last names deleted for simplicity (though some said, sure, use my name) so I don’t have to comb through all their responses.
The first email arrived on FEBRUARY 3:
Hi Gerry,
Thank you so much for posting your information on the scam. I wasted a bit of time on mine, but I was amazed that April used the same name to scam me.
I did a Google search when she first contacted me and it yielded little, but this morning as I sat down to write a contract I just Googled her phone number and came upon you, so you saved me from having to take the process to the next level. Obviously, I had my suspicions and I was trying to think how I could write a bullet proof contract, but seeing her name in a correspondence with you was absolute confirmation that it was not possible.
Wayne
February 7:
Hi Gerry,
Hope you’re well. This is just a note of thanks as your blog post just saved me from, I believe, the same scammer. I found your post because I received a couple messages and wanted to vet this person, as they seemed suspicious (more than anything because the payment they were offering was outrageously high). I did a Google search for the phone number… and boom, found your post.
I’m glad you didn’t lose any money. The sketches you did are super cool, though, and obviously took some time.
If you’re interested, I’ll attach screen shots of my exchange with this person.
Anyway, thank you again for the post. You saved me a lot of time and trouble. I’m inspired to spread the word.
Best,
Alex
February 14:
Hi Mr. Mooney,
My name is Heather *********** and I own a professional writing firm. I wanted to thank you for posting your article about the scammer that had tried to con you; it saved me from spending any more time (and substantial subcontractor fees), as I Googled the address that “Megan” provided and it led me to your article. She was so well-spoken compared to other scammers I’ve encountered in the past, and this seemed to be especially conniving and well thought out, as one of our firm’s specialties and experience is in the educational psychology realm. I did initially sense a red flag when she made excuses to avoid a call and keep communication via email. I also found it odd that she made a point of saying that she didn’t want to review drafts. Ugh. Glad I caught this sooner than later, thanks to you!
Sincerely,
Heather
MARCH 10:
Hi Gerry,
My name is Emily and I’m a voiceover artist. I’m writing in deep appreciation for posting about this scammer.
I came upon your post by googling the “198 Primrose Drive Blacksburg, VA 24060” address when I was about to send an invoice before beginning work on their proposed project, but had a strange feeling in my gut from the jump.
In my version, the scammer’s name was “Audrey Scott”, requesting me to record two articles on Social Media/Mental Health for a webinar she said she was organizing for the young people of her community. The writing in the correspondence you posted mirrors what I received almost exactly.She said she was “an event planner and a retired academic consultant” with no specifics as to any company or location of where her event would be taking place, despite my inquiring into both of those details. She even went so far as to send me the first article, which was 14 pages long, and likely written by AI.
She proposed payment by way of a certified bank draft, cashier’s check, or bank certified check, but did bother to ask about my preferred methods of payment. I offered my LinkTree with three different (very easy) electronic payment methods, as electronic payment would allow me to begin work on the project immediately, but she then insisted on payment by way of hard copy bank draft through the mail, saying that “This is the only payment option provided by the financier of the program.”
(Again, no specifics or company name.)
She then said “Please do not forget to include your details in the invoice/contract so that the payment can be prepared asap and mailed out to you.” …….as if I don’t understand how to create my own invoice. I was still willing to work with that, but something still did not feel right, and I’m glad I trusted my gut and googled the address, which led me to your post.
I’m so disappointed to learn the reality of this situation, as this would have been a decent and needed paycheck for me. However, despite my disappointment, I am so extremely grateful to have found your post, which is now saving me a lot of time and anguish. I’m now left with the question of whether or not to inform this person that I am no longer available for their “project”, as I’d love for them to have to reckon with the fact that they’ve been found out, but I think the safest course of action is to let it disappear into the ether.It’s awful that there are people out there trying to pull something like this on working creatives who, speaking for myself, have it hard enough as it is already.Thank you so much again for putting this information out there, I am truly truly grateful to have found it.Wishing you all the REAL creative success possible!!
All the best and my sincerest thanks,
Emily
MARCH 22:
Hi Gerry,
I just wanted to send a huge thanks your way for sharing your story about the freelancing scam you experienced. A person going by the same name of April Castillo recently contacted me about a writing project. When I grew suspicious, I googled the address she provided on my freelance contract that she returned and signed and found your website.
I created a LinkedIn post about the experience that provides more details:
Anyway, thank you, thank you, thank you. I like to think that major red flags would have gone off by the time it went as far as her asking for money back, but a quick google search was all I needed thanks to you.
Isn’t it nuts she/they keep using the same name and address? But I’m glad they do!
Thanks,
Todd
APRIL 4:
Dear Gerry,
As others have noted, THANK YOU for your article, because I just received the following note below via the contact form on my website. It was from April Castillo aprilcast1980@aol.com. I questioned the AOL email and odd nature of the request, and I googled “April Castillo academic consultant Virginia.” (I included Virginia because I googled the 804 area code.)
Hi,
I trust this message finds you in good spirits. My name is April Castillo, and I work as an academic consultant and event planner. I’m reaching out to inquire about your writing services, as I need assistance in crafting two brief articles for an upcoming webinar. I discovered your contact information while searching online, and your portfolio reflects a wide range of skills that I believe would make you an excellent fit for this project. If you have availability, I would be eager to provide you with more details. I prefer to communicate via email.
804-277-4994
Many thanks.
I own a creative writing business and was previously a longtime freelance writer. Thank you for sparing me the headache of following up with this “person.”
Best regards,
Ronni
APRIL 10:
Hi Gerry,
You’re a lifesaver!! I was literally just about to send my address and phone to “April Castillo” for a writing project in which she was paying exorbitantly well. We’d emailed back and forth a few times today.
Suspicious, I had googled her but hadn’t found much.
I was about to click “send” to her, which would prompt her payment to me and set the scam in motion, when a little voice inside me said “dig a little farther.”
So, I googled “April Castillo scam” and up popped your blog on your experience with this person. And, at the end, emails from others who also had been scammed by her.
You saved me a lot of grief, Gerry. Thank you for posting that blog, and sorry you had to go through it yourself.
Have a great day,
Tom
APRIL 15:
Hi, Gerry:
My name is Rob *********. I’m a professional copywriter located in Washington state.
About a week ago, I got an email from “April Castillo.” She (assuming it’s really a she) asked me to write a couple of articles about social media and mental health. I’m primarily a high-tech writer, so I didn’t think that I was the type of writer that she was looking for.
I tried calling her 804 number to talk with her about her project, and got her voice-mail. She sent me another email saying that she had Apraxia (a legitimate disorder), and had to communicate by email. In her second message, she outlined the two articles she wanted, and offered what I think is a fair price for the work ($4900).
I sent back another email saying I would only do the work if she (1) signed a contract with me and (2) gave me a full payment in advance. She agreed to both terms. I also asked her for details about her company. She explained that her company was called Flay Consult LLC, and that her mailing address was 198 Primrose Drive, Blacksburg, VA.
From the start, I knew there was something wrong here. Her tone sounded way too academic. She was using words like “disseminating,” “differentiating,” and “social sensitization” in her emails. I’ve been around long enough to know that these aren’t words that real academics use. These are the words you get when you ask Chat GTP to write an email message about a certain topic in the style of an academic.
So when she sent me the name of her company, Flay Consult LLC, I looked it up on the Virginia State Corporation Commission Business Entity website. The search engine said, “No Records Found.” Then I looked up her address, 198 Primrose Drive, Blacksburg, VA. While Primrose Drive does exist, 198 Primrose Drive is a fictitious address.
I had previously Googled “April Castillo,” and found the actress with that name. Now I Googled “April Castillo Blacksburg Virginia” – and found your web article, which explains how the scam works.
Anyway, this whole experience proves the old adage, “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.” After 25 years as a professional writer, my ‘gut instinct’ is still the best B.S. Detector. If you’re a freelance writer/illustrator/graphic artist, etc., my advice to you is to listen to that gut instinct when it tells you something is wrong.
Best.
Rob
Will I get more emails? Frankly, I hope so. The fact that these people are still using the same scam means that, by and large, it’s working, so this post remains an important resource for those who take the extra step to protect themselves before being taken in.
Thanks for reading. You can leave a comment below, or send me a note at dickens@mooneyart.com.
Hello, this scam is alive and well! I am a freelance writer and heard from April Castillo via my contact form a few days ago. Everyone, beware!
Beware, indeed. I just received a similar message with the 804-277-4994 phone number, but this one was from Madison Combs, who apparently needs help writing webinar articles. Glad I googled and found Gerry’s article. Thanks!
Hi Gerry.
I am a professional voice over artist, and I received this email that I believe must be the same scam. It looks like the name has changed.
Friday, May 16, 2025
Hello,
I’m Hannah McGrady, an event planner and a retired academic consultant. I stumbled upon your work online and was fascinated by your one-of-a-kind tone and style. I’m thrilled at the idea of possibly collaborating on a voiceover project. I need a voiceover artist to record two short articles intended for a young audience during a webinar. I would appreciate it if you could get back to me for further details and let me know your availability. Email is my preferred method of communication.
Warm regards,
804-277-4994
“Hannah” reached out for my VO services too on May 27, 2025:
Hello,
I’m Hannah McGrady, an event planner and a retired academic consultant. I stumbled upon your work online and was fascinated by your one-of-a-kind tone and style. I’m thrilled at the idea of possibly collaborating on a voiceover project. I need a voiceover artist to record two short articles intended for a young audience during a webinar. I would appreciate it if you could get back to me for further details and let me know your availability. Email is my preferred method of communication.
Warm regards,
804-277-4994
We exchanged a couple of emails. The song and dance was very much like the exchanges above with “April” Then I copy and pasted her email into Google and found this and other pages.
Then I sent her a few more choice words. I doubt she’ll be responding again.
Same phone number, this time the name is Juliette Simon. The email looked fishy so I googled the phone number and ended up here, thankfully!
And here is the follow up email sent today from “Hannah McGrady” after I responded that I was interested to know the details:
Hello Andrew,
Thank you for your reply. Normally I would have opted for you to call me but my Apraxia is worse these days so let’s communicate by email. I am organizing a seminar for youngsters from age 15-21 in Blacksburg, VA and would like you to record articles for the attendees to listen to. The theme of the program is INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA : MENTAL HEALTH EFFECT AND BENEFITS. I opted for a recorded reading rather than hiring a professional speaker, as it is a more cost-effective solution. The seminar will be in phases 1 and 2. Article 1 will be used for phase 1 and article 2 for phase 2 respectively.
Article 1 : “Dealing with Depression in Young Adults.” and
Article 2 : “Social Media – Benefits and Risks”.
Both articles have the same word count which is 3,700 words but only article one is ready for now. Article one is ready and it’s available in PDF format, which I have attached to this email. The second article will be sent to you as soon as the ghostwriter is finished with it.
I would appreciate it if you could record the articles at a moderate pace, from start to finish. The recordings will be played during the seminar, allowing participants to follow along with your narration. The article consists of 3,700 words (excluding the Bibliography) and 12 pages long. You can send me the recorded file by uploading it to Google Drive, or if the file size permits, you may email it to me. The recording should be in MP3 format.
The budget allocated for this project is 67 cents per word . That’s $0.67 x 7,400 words (3,700 x 2) = $4,960. If this rate does not meet your expectations, please share your proposed pricing.
The deadline for delivery is on or before June 5, 2025.
Finally, what would be your preferred mode of payment? Though I’m proposing a certified bank draft, a cashier’s check or bank certified check. If you’re fine with the proposed payment method, please send me your name, full address and phone to mail the payment to you.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best regards.
Well I just received the exact same email from a Brian Nathan-Lewis it is as follows:
I hope this message finds you well. My name is Brian Nathan-Lewis and I am an event planner with a background as an academic consultant. I recently came across your work and was impressed by your distinctive tone and style.
I am currently seeking a talented voiceover artist to record two short articles designed for a young audience, to be featured during an upcoming webinar. I would be delighted to discuss this opportunity further and explore the possibility of collaborating.
Please let me know your availability at your earliest convenience. Email is my preferred method of communication.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Warm regards,
Brian Nathan-Lewis
I received this through my website form. I was in the middle of getting out another audiobook but thought I could provide this to him if it was legit. I sent him a 1:36 sample and asked him to direct me if it wasn’t what he expected (everything a voice-over artist would do). He said he listened to it and it’s exactly what he wanted. He would send me a check in the mail and was waiting on the ghost writer to write the next script.
I sent him another email asking him to verify himself or business with a Linked-In profile or something that shows he’s legitimate. In the meantime, I checked his name, nothing on the net, I looked for seminars in Blacksburg, Va., nothing. I got his phone number from the website form (804) 277-4994. That’s when I found this website and all these testimonies. Thank goodness! You have done the artist community a GREAT justice! Thank you!!!
I just received and email from Brian Nathan-Lewis today! Glad I googled the name and thanks for sharing your experience.
Got it this weekend. Glad I researched before I responded. Thank you!
Wow. I’m a voiceover artist, and was contacted by “Hannah McGrady” two weeks ago. I received the same exact messages as those above. I filled out a report on ReportFraud.FYC.gov
It may not help, but it can’t hurt.
I was contacted by a “Lissa Zeller” on May 22nd via email. She used the same (804) 277-4994 phone number, which is how I found this thread.
Wow, I was just contacted by “Hannah McGrady” as well. Same text, different phone number. So glad my spidey-sense made me Google this! Thank you all for posting!
Hello,
I’m Hannah McGrady, an event planner and a retired academic consultant. I stumbled upon your work online and was fascinated by your one-of-a-kind tone and style. I’m thrilled at the idea of possibly collaborating on a voiceover project. I need a voiceover artist to record two short articles intended for a young audience during a webinar. I would appreciate it if you could get back to me for further details and let me know your availability. Email is my preferred method of communication.
Warm regards.
447-229-4818
Its July 7 2025
i have received a mail yeasterday from “FLAY CONSULT LLC” company with similar style of message, its still active
I commented on your previous post about April Castillo and then found this follow-up. Oh my. She/whoever really does get around! I’m very grateful for my suspicious nature (and long career as a freelancer, long enough to know the per-word rate she offered is too generous and she’s all-too-anxious to pay me). The query I received from her is very similar to some above. Here’s the email with the most details from aprilcast1980@gmail.com:
Hello Jennifer,
Thank you for your prompt reply. The articles are intended for an upcoming social sensitization program/webinar aimed at students aged 15 to 21. The theme of the program is “Internet and Social Media and : Merit and Demerit” The objective of the webinar is to address the growing issue of Internet and social media addiction that is increasingly affecting young individuals today. The article will be distributed electronically to all participants. The title of the articles are “Social Media and Mental Health” AND “Internet and Youth Development.”
REQUIREMENTS
I require concise and comprehensive articles of 1,400 words each. That’s 2800 words in total. The tone should be informal yet assertive. Please provide the final document in PDF format. I would like to retain exclusive rights to the articles, although you may include them in your portfolio. You will be responsible for sourcing the necessary materials, and I request that no illustrations or graphics be included. Additionally, I do not want any references, links, or citations—just the text of the articles.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
To acknowledge your efforts, you may include your byline on the articles. If you need a contract, please send yours over, and I will review it and add my signature.
Below is the outline for the article, which will guide you on the topics I would like you to cover:
ARTICLE 1: Social Media and Mental Health (1,400 words)
1. Social Media: Background and Introduction.
2. The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health:
i. The Positive Impact
ii. The Negative Impact
3. Managing the Effects of Social Media on Mental Health
4. Conclusion.
ARTICLE 2 : Internet and Youth Development (1,400 words)
1. Introduction/Overview:
2. A brief history of the Internet.
3. Importance of the Internet on Education.
4. The effects of the Internet on Student Performance.
5. Internet addiction and how to mitigate it.
6. Conclusion.
BUDGET
The budget for this project is $1.75 per word. That’s $1.75 x 2800 words totaling $4,900. I believe this is a fair offer, but please inform me if it does not meet your expectations. Payment will be made by one of the program’s sponsors.
DELIVERY DATE
I would appreciate receiving the article by or before August 30, 2025.
MODE OF PAYMENT
I’m proposing a certified bank draft, a cashier’s check or bank certified check. The check will be issued and mailed to you as soon as you send me your details.
Best regards.