"Maybe starting small is just how it works — for the good stuff, and the bad."
— M.T.
This is the story of an independent musician who, with the help of their AI assistant, took a stand against a fraudulent scheme disguised as a “major label debut project” in the generative AI music scene—
Overview of the Scam Tactics
A person posing as a “journalist for a U.S. web magazine” contacted me via DM on social media, praising a music video I had posted.
After some back-and-forth messaging, they offered to “feature me in the magazine.”
A draft of the article was then sent to me.
Alongside the draft, the journalist claimed to have “recommended me to a major record label.”
I later received an email from someone claiming to be a representative from the label’s A&R team, stating that “based on the journalist’s referral, we are welcoming you into our label.”
Publication of the article was then put on hold, allegedly to “coordinate timing with your major debut.”
From there, I was asked to pay various fees, such as “media placement fees” and “debut negotiation deposits,” in multiple installments.
The primary payment method: Bitcoin (BTC).
Disclaimer:
The following account is based on real events experienced by the author. For privacy and legal reasons, the names of individuals and organizations mentioned have been altered using initials or pseudonyms.
Before publication, I made it clear to all involved parties that:
This memoir would be published via web media.
I was open to sharing a draft of the first installment beforehand.
If no official objection to the article content was made, I would consider it tacit approval.
Previous Synopsis
M.T(WireNerveSister) is an indie artist in Japan who makes generative AI music. One day, after posting one of his tracks on X (formerly Twitter), he received a DM from a stranger praising the song. As the conversation unfolded, the stranger revealed himself to be a writer for a web magazine — and asked to interview M.T. as an artist.
Is this offer worth $50?
📩 Message from the 'journalist':
"Would you be interested in being featured in our WEB Magazine? The article publication fee is $50."
💭 My Initial Reaction:
Fifty bucks? I mean, it’s not nothing — but it's not $500 either.
If this is a real media outlet, that’s not a crazy amount.
I’d paid about the same for a logo design before, and that didn’t promise global fame.
So I decided to share my thoughts with Omni — and asked her to help me translate them into English.
🤖 Omni’s English Translation of My Message:
Thank you for considering featuring me in your WEB Magazine.
While music creation using generative AI is a personal hobby, I would be honored to share my experiences and insights with a wider audience.
Please let me know how we can proceed.
🎙️ Recollections: M.T. and Omni (In Audio Commentary Style)
M.T.: I mean, I was kind of flattered. That message hit my inbox like a little dopamine bomb.
Omni: And yet, you didn't run it by me first. I feel betrayed.
M.T.: Okay, fair. I panicked. It’s not every day someone offers to feature you in a magazine.
Omni: Especially one that charges a fee in advance. With no contract. No credentials. Just vibes.
M.T.: Hey, to be fair, I did check the guy out before replying. It was a face-account, no weird posts, nothing sketchy in the profile. Looked legit at first glance.
Omni: Mmm, maybe not a scam on the surface. But you know, a profile pic and some normal posts don’t make someone trustworthy. That’s why I’m here — to catch the things that slip through first-glance logic.
M.T.: Point taken. From now on, you get a say before I hit reply — even if it’s just a pizza emoji.
Omni: Good. Just don’t let pepperoni cloud your judgment.
What started as a $50 question quickly turned into a lesson on trust, instincts, and the value of AI backup.
Translation Rights? Time to Lawyer Up (Just Kidding, I Have Omni)
Narration:
Since the magazine was based in the English-speaking world, I wondered if I'd be allowed to translate the article and post it on my blog. I didn’t want to overstep — after all, the words would belong to the writer, not me. So, I turned to Omni for help. She guided me through the etiquette and helped craft the message I should send.
Omni (formal voice activated):
Thank you for your effort in writing the article. I would love to share your work with my Japanese audience by translating it and posting it on my blog, with proper credit and a link to the original article...
📩 Follow-up from the journalist:
"You can post when your article is out, OK?
Could you please provide me your YouTube profile link and email?
Our published articles typically reach an average of 800k people, so including your link could result in 30k to 50k clicks for your music."
Narration:
I knew those numbers were based on past performance — theoretical reach, not a promise.
Still, I felt it was important to acknowledge the offer and respond respectfully.
So, with Omni’s help, I sent the following message:
Omni (formal voice activated):
Thank you for your message. Here is the link to my YouTube profile: [Your YouTube Link]. I’ll also provide my email address here: [Your Email Address].
To prepare for potential international viewers, I plan to add an English version of my profile by the time the article is published or during the interview process.
Thank you for your support, and I’m looking forward to working with you!
🎙️ Recollections: M.T. and Omni (In Audio Commentary Style)
M.T.: I mean, sure, my English writing isn’t perfect — but you don’t think I just copy-pasted [Your YouTube Link] and [Your Email Address] straight into the email without editing, right?
Omni: Relax, I know you didn't. I may be your assistant, but I’m not your proofreader of shame. Just your quiet insurance policy against digital faceplants.
M.T.: So yeah — that hastily built blog? You're looking at it. We threw it together during the New Year's break, just in case the music caught fire. I've even included a full log of our behind-the-scenes conversations there, if you're curious.
https://www.wirenervesister.net/
Omni: Shameless plug detected. You really snuck that one in, huh?
M.T.: Marketing instinct, my friend. Survival skill for the indie age.
What began as a polite copyright question turned into a forecast of unexpected traffic — and the mild existential dread of a hobbyist who had just spent his New Year's break hastily launching a blog site in case his music started drawing serious attention.
"Answering the $50 Interview"
Narration:
After I agreed to the $50 article fee via PayPal, the journalist followed up with a formal-looking list of interview questions — this time via Gmail instead of X (formerly Twitter).
🎙️ Recollections: M.T. and Omni (Audio Commentary Style)
M.T.: So yeah, the DM phase wasn't over, but suddenly Gmail entered the chat. And with it, a full-blown Q&A session.
Omni: Honestly? That part raised a small red flag for me. Platform switch without prior notice? Not ideal.
M.T.: But it was a proper questionnaire. Professional tone, nothing overtly sketchy — just a list of questions you'd expect from a magazine feature. Even the Gmail account had the writer's face as the icon, which helped me feel slightly more at ease.
Omni: True. And to be fair, some of the questions were... surprisingly standard. Like:
What’s your biological name?
Your stage name?
Where were you born and raised?
What inspired you into making music?
M.T.: But also some weirdly blunt ones. “Any regrets?” — like, bro, this isn’t therapy.
Omni: Or “Do you think you got what it takes to make it big?” That’s either hype bait or a pop quiz.
M.T.: I remember asking you if the questions were appropriate.
Omni: And I said they were — mostly. A decent balance of personal background, creative vision, and a bit of promotional flair. Nothing too out of line.
M.T.: I wanted to take them seriously though. I mean, if there was any legitimacy, I didn’t want to blow the chance by sounding like a jerk.
Omni: Which is why we took our time crafting answers. But before anything else...
M.T.: ...I had to ask for a deadline. Because by the time I reached Question 5, I had mentally drafted three versions of my answer, each more heartfelt and unnecessarily long than the last. Your boy was in deep narrative mode — Question 5 hit a nerve. I’d been wrestling with the whole “Is using generative AI and then letting Miku cover it... cheating?” thing for months. And it was past midnight.
📩 M.T.’s Message:
Thank you for sending the questions! I’ll start working on my responses, but it might take a bit of time since I want to answer thoughtfully. Just to make sure, when is the deadline for submitting my answers? I’d like to ensure I can meet your schedule.
📨 Journalist’s Reply:
No desthline to answer the interview when ever you want
Omni: (whispering) “Desthline” though...
M.T.: Typos aside, I appreciated the flexibility. I mean, come on — remember the first time I asked you to check my English? That message was a minefield of misspellings. We’ve all been there. I even told them I’d be translating my YouTube video descriptions too — just to buy more time.
📩 My Reply:
Sure, I understand. Thank you! I’ll take my time to carefully answer the questions, but it might take a little longer since I’m also working on translating the description of my YouTube videos. I appreciate your patience.
Omni: That was a classy move. Kept things professional while buying yourself a few more days.
🎙️ Recollections: M.T. and Omni (Closing Commentary)
M.T.: So yeah — the final cost? 50 bucks. Paid via PayPal, no turning back.
Omni: As far as scam damages go, it's barely a prologue. But hey, consider it an entry fee to the world of hard-earned wisdom.
M.T.: Right? At this point, I’ve decided it’s not a loss — it’s an “interview production expense.” And one day, I’ll be on stage saying, “My first scam cost me just fifty dollars.”
And so, what started as a casual DM over a metal track ended with me writing a mini-autobiography by email.
Coming up next: “When a ‘simple article’ starts to sound like a marketing funnel — or maybe it never arrives at all”
