Detroit Community Steps In After Small Bookstore Scammed Out of $35k

A Detroit community saved a local bookstore after it was scammed out of $35,000. 27th Letter Books opened just over a year ago and is owned by two couples-Drew and Erin Pineda and Jazmine Cooper and Jake Spease. The little store offers a diverse selection of books and hosts events aimed to bring the community together.

They run story-time sessions for children, book club meetings, open mic nights and many local authors and artists showcase their work at the brick and mortar store. The owners were happy when they started receiving large online orders for textbooks. The customer, who used the name of a professor, placed several orders of medical and engineering textbooks.

In May, the store’s merchant service provider flagged one of the credit cards used as stolen.
The owners quickly realized the previous orders had also been paid for with stolen cards. After contacting law enforcement, their insurance company and several banks-they were told the financial loss would fall on them. Cooper said the loss left them with two options, close their doors or ask for support. They started a GoFundMe campaign in hopes of saving the store.

News of the GoFundMe campaign spread among their customers and they were able to surpass their $35,000 goal in just 10 days. Over 400 of the contributors were local customers, leaving the owners stunned by the generosity and the outpouring of messages they received. One local artist, Nicole Miazgowicz, who showcased her artwork at the store raised funds selling her work to help, saying the decision was a no-brainer considering what they bring to the community.

Pineda said “It’s wonderful that people are willing to pay it forward because of what they’ve seen us provide to the community. It creates a beautiful reciprocity of gratitude between the people in our community and us as a business who care deeply about southwest Detroit”. The owners were able to cover the loss and say they are motivated now more than ever to keep their doors open.