Ron Foster Publishing Scam: $50,000 Lost to Fake Royalties and Pay-to-Release Scheme

Ron Foster didn’t go looking for trouble. He wasn’t chasing hype, crypto speculation, or unrealistic returns. He was trying to get his books published properly and finally earn from years of work. What he walked into instead was a well-structured publishing trap that would cost him around $50,000 and drag him into a legal fight he never expected. At 67, living on a limited income and dealing with ongoing health issues, Ron is not who most people imagine when they think of scam victims. And that’s exactly why this story matters. What happened to him wasn’t reckless — it was engineered step by step, using professional language, convincing documentation, and just enough credibility to keep him moving forward without realising what he was actually dealing with. *TIME STAMPS* 00:00:00 - Ron Foster Publishing Scam 01:24:30 - Zoom Meeting Exploitation 02:10-:00 - STEPHEN BEARD & BG WEALTH SHARING https://youtu.be/PD52-IjBhA4 *WHO IS RON FOSTER* Ron isn’t just an author — he’s a survivalist with decades of real-world experience. His work sits in the prepper fiction space, but it’s grounded in practical knowledge. His book *Old Farts Survival Guide* reflects that — a collection of hard-earned lessons on living off the land, adapting under pressure, and surviving when systems fail. View the book here: https://amzn.to/3Nc97zu His background spans roles as a gemologist, investment banker, soldier, airman, and corporate administrator, backed by formal education in human services and emergency management. This is someone who understands risk, planning, and survival systems — which makes what happened next even more confronting. *THE SCAM BEGINS* It started with two seemingly legitimate companies — Prime Publishing Labs and Author Success Publishing. The pitch was simple: publish, distribute, and market his books to a wider audience. There were contracts. Structured packages. Clear timelines. Nothing felt rushed. Nothing felt out of place. Over time, Ron invested tens of thousands of dollars, believing he was building a future as an author. The process was steady, organised, and convincing. *THE BREAKTHROUGH* Then came the moment he had been waiting for. Ron was told his books had taken off. He was shown royalty statements claiming over 30,000 copies sold and more than $300,000 in earnings. The documents looked clean. The numbers made sense. After everything he had put in, it finally looked like the payoff was coming. *THE TRAP* But just as the money appeared within reach, the story changed. The funds couldn’t be released yet. There were compliance requirements. Legal processes. Final steps. To unlock the money, Ron was told he needed to pay $18,199. That’s the moment everything breaks. Because legitimate publishing doesn’t work like that. You don’t pay to receive your own royalties. *THE PATTERN* When Ron pushed back, the explanations shifted. Legal issues became tax problems. Then administrative delays. Then technical barriers. Each explanation sounded plausible on its own. But together, they formed a pattern. Each time, the money couldn’t be released. Each time, there was a new reason. Each time, the solution moved further out of reach. *FOLLOWING THE MONEY* As Ron dug deeper, the structure behind the operation began to emerge. Payments were routed through different entities. Names appeared that were never part of the original agreement. What looked like two companies started to resemble a network designed to move money while limiting accountability. And the deeper he looked, the harder it became to answer one simple question — who was actually responsible? *THE TURNING POINT* Most people walk away at this stage. Ron didn’t. He documented everything — emails, contracts, timelines — and stopped treating it like a delayed payment. He started treating it like evidence. Then he filed lawsuits. *WHY THIS MATTERS* This isn’t just about one author. It’s about a system designed to look legitimate, using professional language and manufactured success to build belief before extracting more money. Because once you believe the payout is real, the rest becomes easier to accept. *THE WARNING* If you are publishing a book, understand this clearly. No legitimate company will ever ask you to pay to release your royalties. If someone tells you money is waiting but you must pay to access it, you are no longer dealing with a publisher. You are dealing with a scam. *THIS FIGHT ISN’T OVER* Ron Foster is still pushing forward — still documenting, still trying to hold those responsible accountable. Because by the time you’re asked to pay to get paid, it’s already too late. READ THE FULL INVESTIGATION: [https://www.dehek.com/general/scam-fraud-investigations/ron-foster-publishing-scam-50000-lost-to-fake-royalties-and-pay-to-release-scheme/