Some Leanpub authors have received scam emails impersonating Peter Armstrong.

These emails look convincing but actually come from Gmail addresses like info.peterarmstrong AT gmail.com
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Other phishing attempts are coming from "Ava Brooks" with an email info.avabrooks AT gmail.com.

✅ Real emails from Leanpub only ever come from:

​Only Peter Armstrong and Len Epp do outreach, and Peter and Len only send emails from @leanpub.com or @ruboss.com email addresses.

If you get a Leanpub email from “Ava Brooks”, do not reply.
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If you get an email from a Gmail address pretending to be from Peter or Len or anyone else at Leanpub, do not reply.

Specifically, the following are SCAM PHISHING EMAILS:

​info.peterarmstrong AT gmail.com

info.avabrooks AT gmail.com

Note that the AT is actually the @ sign ... In this article, if a scam email address is being referenced, I will type " AT " instead of typing the @ sign. The reason for this is that Intercom (which hosts our Help Center) really wants to make email addresses be clickable mailto links, and we don't want you emailing a scammer.

At least three Leanpub authors have received phishing emails supposedly from me, Peter Armstrong.

IN ALL THREE CASES the emails were from info.peterarmstrong AT gmail.com and were pretending to be from peterarmstrong AT leanpub.com.

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What this looks like in Gmail is as follows:

peterarmstrong AT leanpub.com <info.peterarmstrong AT gmail.com>
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Please look at the ACTUAL SENDER IN THE <ANGLE BRACKETS> when you get an email that you think is from us.

The goal of the phishing attempts has been to get the user to engage with "Ava Brooks" with the email address info.avabrooks AT gmail.com (A SCAM EMAIL)

We don't know what happens after this point, since the Leanpub authors that we have heard from have always figured it out by this point. I assume that "Ava Brooks" will ask for payment or something...

(Ruboss is the company I founded way back in 2008, which owns and operates Leanpub. I do not send email from protonmail or gmail, even though I have a Gmail account, like almost everyone else.)

If it helps other Leanpub authors, we are pasting redacted examples of the phishing emails which were sent below.
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​The reason that we are doing this is that the phishing emails are pretty convincing. Unfortunately, it is a scam.

(Sadly, we had just been starting doing some actual outreach of our own, so now these scum are poisoning the well and many Leanpub authors will probably assume that any legitimate outreach from us is a phishing attempt. We'll have to figure out how to address this.)

I want to thank the Leanpub authors who shared the phishing email threads with us. This will hopefully help other Leanpub authors not get scammed.

This is the email that they sent to start it. It's actually pretty good.

Hello Author REDACTED,

I hope this message finds you well. First, let me congratulate you on the remarkable achievement of writing and publishing . We’re honored to have your book (REDACTED) in the Leanpub library, and we truly appreciate your trust in our platform.

We understand that reaching readers and expanding your audience can sometimes be challenging. You are not alone; many talented authors experience the same journey. At Leanpub, we believe every book deserves to be discovered, and we’re committed to helping you succeed.

If this sounds helpful, simply reply to this email. Our goal is to make your publishing journey with Leanpub not only rewarding, but also inspiring.

Thank you once again for sharing your work with Leanpub. We look forward to supporting you in reaching even more readers worldwide.

Best regards,

Peter Armstrong

Co-Founder & CEO

Leanpub.com

Obviously we will never share what the author sent to them. However, it was receptive enough to trigger the follow-up.

(REDACTED)

This is how they replied to the author's initial reply.

Hello REDACTED,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful message. We’re truly honored to have REDACTED in the Leanpub library, and it’s wonderful to hear how you value the flexibility and engagement that Leanpub offers authors.

You mentioned the challenge of reaching readers and expanding your audience, this is something many authors experience. To better understand how we can support you, could you share a bit about the specific challenges you’re facing right now in the process? For example, what steps have you already taken to grow your readership, and are there areas where your efforts feel stuck or not delivering the results you hoped for?

This will help us learn more about your journey so far, and we can then explore the strategies and support that might be most effective for you.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Best regards,

Peter Armstrong

Co-Founder & CEO

Leanpub.com

(REDACTED)

This is how they replied to the author's second reply.

Hello REDACTED,

Thank you so much for this thoughtful and detailed note it’s inspiring to see the clarity of your vision for REDACTED and the amount of work you’ve already put into building momentum around it. REDACTED, your positioning, the content marketing, and the way you are engaging early readers all of this shows a very intentional and professional approach. It’s truly exciting to see.

I also want to thank you for being so transparent about where you feel stuck and where Leanpub can support you. Many of the points you’ve highlighted discoverability, conversion, reviews, SEO, bundling, and enterprise channels are exactly the areas where our expert team can step in to make a meaningful difference. Our role is to take some of the weight off your shoulders, so you can keep doing what you do best: creating content and sparking important conversations.

Would you like us to connect you with one of our experts, who can work alongside you on the areas where you feel stuck, such as optimizing your Leanpub book page, surfacing social proof, exploring bundle partners, coupon strategies, enterprise licensing opportunities, and even course creation? With their support, we can help REDACTED gain greater visibility and reach the audiences who will benefit most from it.

Your focus on reach rather than revenue is something we deeply respect. At Leanpub, we believe that books like yours, which aim to spark meaningful change, deserve the widest possible audience, and we’re committed to helping you achieve that.

Best regards,

Peter Armstrong

Co-Founder & CEO

Leanpub.com

(REDACTED)
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This is how they replied to the author's third reply. At this point they tried to convince the author to contact "Ava Brooks" at a Gmail address info.avabrooks AT gmail.com ... Again, they used the @ sign, but we are not going to use it because we do not want you accidentally emailing scammers.

Hello REDACTED,

That’s wonderful to hear, and I truly appreciate your openness and enthusiasm. The next step is simple: please reach out to our expert,

Name : Ava Brooks

Contact Gmail:(info.avabrooks AT gmail.com).

Ava will connect with you directly and work closely alongside you, guiding you through each of the areas we discussed from enhancing discoverability to surfacing social proof and beyond.

Her role is to ensure you feel fully supported at every stage, so that REDACTED not only reaches its intended audience but also creates the meaningful impact you envision.

We’re genuinely excited to walk this journey with you, and I have every confidence that with Ava’s support, your book will inspire and engage a much wider community of readers.

Best regards,
Peter Armstrong
Co-Founder & CEO
Leanpub.com

Hello Author REDACTED,

I hope this message finds you well. First, let me congratulate you on the remarkable achievement of writing and publishing . We’re honored to have your book (REDACTED) in the Leanpub library, and we truly appreciate your trust in our platform.

We understand that reaching readers and expanding your audience can sometimes be challenging. You are not alone; many talented authors experience the same journey. At Leanpub, we believe every book deserves to be discovered, and we’re committed to helping you succeed.

If this sounds helpful, simply reply to this email. Our goal is to make your publishing journey with Leanpub not only rewarding, but also inspiring.

Thank you once again for sharing your work with Leanpub. We look forward to supporting you in reaching even more readers worldwide.

Best regards,

Peter Armstrong

Co-Founder & CEO

Leanpub.com

Hello Author REDACTED,

Happy new month! I hope you’re doing well and that this new month brings fresh energy and inspiration for your writing.

Publishing your book on Leanpub is a wonderful accomplishment. Every author’s path is different, and I’d like to know more about yours. Aside from Leanpub not offering printing or physical distribution, what challenges have you met on the platform recently? Have there been things you tried to improve but didn’t turn out as you hoped?

I’d truly appreciate hearing from you what difficulties you’re facing now, how you’ve been trying to handle them, and where you still feel stuck. My intention is to support you in overcoming those challenges, so your journey feels lighter and more rewarding. Could you share a bit about this with me?

Warm regards,

Ava Brooks