Notorious book thief resurfaces as Fríða Ísberg warns Icelandic authors of fraud

The notorious book thief has resurfaced, allegedly identifying as Fríða Ísberg, and expressing excitement for an upcoming book. In a warning directed at fellow writers, the author mentioned that fraudulent emails have been sent in her name to a number of familiar authors. She shared this information on Facebook.

The messages share a common theme: the recipient is greeted, followed by the scammer expressing their enthusiasm for the reading experience. They then inquire if a “final” draft can be obtained before signing off warmly, with the phrase “hugs, Fríða.”

This incident appears to mirror previous scams involving manuscript thieves, suggesting that a figure once again targeting Icelandic authors has emerged. The Icelandic Writers’ Union had issued a warning about similar fraud last September, marking this recurrent theme as a troubling side effect of the current literary flood.

In 2017, manuscript thief Filippo Bernardini gained international attention after a culture magazine exposed his actions. He was implicated in gaining access to Stieg Larsson’s latest book and manuscripts from Icelandic authors Hallgrím Helgason and Friðgeir Einarsson.

Though it remains unclear how these fraudsters profit from accessing unpublished Icelandic manuscripts, it is likely that their motivations lie elsewhere. The continuous emergence of such scams raises concerns about the integrity of the literary community in Iceland.