On the Hacker News front page in October 2026: a report on AI-written messages that pose as book clubs, publishers, agents and film scouts, praise a writer's book, then ask for a "contribution fee".
Is this offer for your book bait?
Paste the message. The page marks every lure in it, sorts them into a tackle tray and shows which way the money flows. One run explains each bait, gives you three checks to do on your own and drafts a reply.
1 The offer
When money is asked, who wrote first decides between cut and check.
2 The letter, bait marked
3 The tackle tray
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The money current
4 Read the bait
One run explains each bait with a word-for-word quote, says which way the money flows and how a genuine offer of this kind usually works, gives you three checks to do on your own, drafts a reply you could send and - if you already paid - what to do now.
The verdict follows a fixed rule, checked in order: cut the line if they wrote first and the message asks you for money; check the hook first if it asks for money after you contacted them, or shows 2 or more other kinds of bait; no hook in sight otherwise.
5 The logbook
How the bait scan works
The page looks for seven kinds of bait with plain word lists: money asked of you (fees, deposits, packages with a price, invoices), flattery ("captivating", "deeply moved", "a rare talent"), a rush (deadlines, spots running out, "within 48 hours"), big-stage promises (film rights, producers, billboards, bestseller lists), off-channel or hush requests ("keep this confidential", "text me"), a generic greeting ("Dear Author") and a free-mail sender address on what claims to be a company. "No fee" and "we never charge" are not counted as asks. Words about paying you - an advance, royalties, a commission on sales - set the money current toward you. A hit is a reason to look closer, not proof of a scam, and a clean scan is not proof an offer is real: the lists are a rough rule of thumb, and the verdict is an estimate from them, not a finding about the sender.