Newest trick in the book(store)

Oh I love this.

Scam artist passing himself off as an author on the way to do a reading at local bookstore, needs staffer to wire money for sudden emergency.

"The call came from someone who said he was the Los Angeles blogger and first novelist Mark Sarvas, who was reading at the store in a few days and seemed to be in a pinch. His car had been impounded, he needed money to get it back and he needed it right away."I thought, 'Why isn't he calling his wife?' " recalled Slattery. "But maybe he can't reach anybody, maybe he had an extra drink. . . . It never occurred to me that it wasn't him."
Now I've read Mark's book (effing brilliant, by the way) so I could suss him out pretty quickly, but what bookseller wouldn't trust a hard up author?
Happily enough, a lot of authors local to Words Worth also shop there, so we kind of know their voices I suppose; but this could mean we have to quiz prospective scammers right from their own books.
"If you're really Cormac McCarthy then on page 14 of the Road, sir..."
Hey, it could happen.

Posted by Dave

Link via Sarah who looks like this by the way.