You shouldn’t feel stupid. These guys go through great lengths to appear legitimate. If you read through the comments you’ll see countless veteran writers were also fooled at first.

As far as the rest, don’t be discouraged. If you’re getting turned down by all the legitimate companies that doesn’t mean you don’t have the talent it takes to become a writer, it just means you need to improve. Writing is hard, with practice, you’ll get better.

If you’re not already using Grammarly, I suggest you do so. I use the free version and not only does it help me spot errors but it trains me to recognize and avoid them to begin with.

It may also be your gifts are better suited to a different type of writing than the positions you’re applying for.

Don’t give up. Good writers eventually find work if they keep submitting and growing. They might not get rich but they do sell some of their pieces. I wish you the best of luck!