Since our
inception, Woodshed Roasting has been a company that highly supports local
businesses as well as similar small coffee roasters around the country. While
not dutifully producing roasted coffee
beans, we always find the time to stay up to date with industry news. This
is why we’ve recently been very disappointed after reading an article from the
Daily Coffee News in this month’s, “Roast Magazine.” It turns out that someone
has been targeting small coffee roasters like us with an unusual online request
for 250 pounds of fresh roasted coffee. Roast magazine has confirmed that
numerous micro-roasters have received an email from a man calling himself David
Walters of Walters & Sons Ltd., or as Mark Curry.
What is
especially unsettling is that this, “David Walters,” actually explains that he
wants the roasted coffee beans for an orphanage. While you can read the email
in its entirety at Roast
Magazine, the introductory paragraph reads as followed:
“My name is Dave Walters of Walters &
Son’s Ltd. and would like to know if you carry Coffee Beans. If you do I would
like purchase some coffee for some Orphanage Home and café consumption. Below
is the qty and type of coffee am interested in.”
A Curious Request for Roasted Coffee Beans
Grammar
mistakes aside, the writer goes on to specify that he’s interested in
purchasing 250 pounds of coffee and asks for phone numbers, credit card
information, and what types of coffee these various micro-roasters specialize
in producing. If only sent to a few micro-roasters, this email would seem
innocuous enough to be legitimate but the fact that so many coffee roasters
have received this email makes room for suspicion.
Using the
phone number that, “David Walters,” left in his email, Daily Coffee News was
actually able to get him on the phone. He did indeed identify himself as David
Walters but when asked how many coffee roasters he had contacted, David said,
“None. Maybe one or two.” And when further prodded about his company and the
orphanage he intended to use the coffee for, the man replied, “I don’t know
what you’re talking about,” and hung up. After that conversation, he no longer
answered any of the Daily Coffee News’ phone calls.
It’s
unfortunate to hear about someone trying to take advantage of small companies
and micro-roasters like ourselves. Luckily, we didn't receive this email and
thankfully didn't waste any time or, more importantly, any of our delicious
roasted coffee beans!