E-mails suggesting purchases?

From: <acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2014 11:47:28 -0400
To: "acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org" <acqnet-l_at_lists.ibiblio.org>

 Is anyone on the list receiving unsolicited e-mails from people unaffiliated with your library asking you to purchase specific titles and then contact the sender when the books arrive?  We have been receiving these types of e-mails approximately two or three times per month for quite some time, and the e-mails are addressed to either the library director (not by name--just "Dear Library Director") or the reference librarian (again, generically, with "Dear Reference Librarian" in the salutation).  Most of our e-mails come from someone named Bernice Williams.
 
Some of our librarians have ordered books requested this way before, thinking that it was a local patron asking. However, I'm suspicious, and think that possibly the e-mails are sent in mass to multiple libraries in an attempt to sell more of a particular author's books.  
 
Thanks,
 
Ann Tenglund
St. Bonaventure University Library
3261 West State Road
St. Bonaventure, NY  14778
ateng_at_sbu.edu
 		 	   		  

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Received on Thu Aug 07 2014 - 18:11:25 EDT