Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has spoken out to warn fans regarding a new scam that involves rare pieces of her work. In addition to using her usual name, which is famously attached to the wizarding world, the 59-year-old also goes by the nom de plume Robert Galbraith.

Rowling has written eight books under this name, all following the adventures of Private Detective Cormoron Strike. The most recent being The Hallmarked Man, which came out this year and became an instant best-seller. When it was revealed Rowling was using the pseudonym, she explained exactly where the name had come from.

She wrote on her website: “I chose Robert because it’s one of my favourite men’s names, because Robert F Kennedy is my hero and because, mercifully, I hadn’t used it for any of the characters in the Potter series or The Casual Vacancy.”

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Rowling responded to a fan asking if the books they’d seen advertised on eBay were legitimate. Sharing the tweet, she wrote: “Yes, they’re total scams. I know the precise location of all signed copies of The Hallmarked Man and literally none are on eBay!”

Rowling has also previously addressed why she chose a male moniker, saying: “I certainly wanted to take my writing persona as far away as possible from me, so a male pseudonym seemed a good idea. I am proud to say, though, that when I ‘unmasked’ myself to my editor David Shelley who had read and enjoyed ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’ without realising I wrote it, one of the first things he said was ‘I never would have thought a woman wrote that’. Apparently, I had successfully channelled my inner bloke!”

Rowling recently revealed her thoughts after the three major new characters set to star in the Harry Potter HBO series were announced.

Lead character Harry Potter will be played by Dominic McLaughlin, while Hermione and Ron will be played by Arabella Stanton and Alistair Stout respectively.

Taking to social media to react, the author, whose net worth is estimated at close to £1billion after penning the original fantasy novels, wrote: “All three are wonderful. I couldn’t be happier.”

Meanwhile, a statement by showrunner Franscesca Gardiner and lead director Mark Mylod also expressed joy at the castings. The duo confirmed: “After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

“The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen.”