Publishing has definitely become easier in the digital age but it's also made things very easy for scammers. Always take any offer with a grain of salt (or an entire shaker of salt). Do the research and don't hand over your cash unless you're 100% certain you'll get something in return besides empty promises. Be certain they give you a clearly written contract and have it looked over by a lawyer or someone you trust to spot anything shady.

If the company says "Trust us! Look at how many authors we have, you'll get rich!" that's your cue to run away as fast as you can. Anyone who won't put things into writing is up to some hinky stuff.

It you're planning on uploading to a website then read all the fine print about the process and how you'll be paid. Look for wording about the rights of your work as well. Will you lose it if you unload to their site, can you post it anywhere else at the same time? If something seems off then ask them about it and if they won't give you a straight answer, you guessed it, run. A legit publisher will be more than happy to sit down with you and explain their process and how you'll be paid. They have nothing to hide and they want authors to feel comfortable about signing with them. If you can't get clear answers from someone then it isn't worth the risk.

Your work is yours and you shouldn't hand it over to someone without a fight. It's your baby so protect it. And if someone is sending out messages on places like Wattpad to everyone and everyone - without even reading what's posted on the profile they're messaging, seriously I've gotten message from these place on this profile telling how much they love my work, there's zero writing on this profile - then they don't really give a flying furry fig about your work. All they want is the rights to it so they can make some quick cash off of it. You don't matter, in essence your work doesn't either. They farm thousands of stories with the hope maybe a quarter of them will make them some cash. They deal in volume, not quality work. It costs them nothing to recruit thousands of authors. Which is why they honestly don't care about the quality of the writing. They aren't doing the work, you are. But they're making the cash and the more stuff on their site the more they make.

If you want to publish then look into publishers, look into agents. Do the work to find a place that is right for you. Whether you traditionally publish or you decide to self-publish, put in the work to make certain you get what you deserve for your work. 

If you have any question about publishing I'd be happy to answer anything I can. I've been dealing with it since 2010. Back then self-publishing held a stigma and people tended to shun you if you said you were self-published. Times have changed and Indie authors are more widely accepted. The digital age has made it easier for authors to share they work, but always be aware of who you're presenting your work to, don't give it away for nothing.