Sheriff’s log: He left his debit card at the fast-food window, got charged $4,500

$4,500 charged to mislaid debit card

A man forgot his debit card at a fast-food drive-thru window near Gig Harbor on April 23, and discovered later there were nearly $4,500 in fraudulent charges on the account. The victim used his debit card to pay for food at the restaurant in the 11500 bock of 68th Ave Ct NW. He didn’t realize right away that he didn’t get his debit card back. He called the store and the manager verified that they had the card. The victim picked up the card the following day. Later, he received alerts from his bank for possible fraudulent activity. Within a couple days, there were nearly $4,500 in fraudulent charges to the account. Deputies have requested surveillance video from the restaurant owner.

Longbranch woman victim of scam

The victim received a call April 26 at her Longbranch home from a person who said he was a federal agent and accused her of sending an illegal shipment of drugs and cash through the mail. He said she was going to be arrested if she didn’t pay him. The victim said she didn’t want to be arrested so she wired $10,500 to the caller. Authorities have warned that federal agents or police never demand payment over the phone, and that any such calls are scams.

Purdy salon ransacked, down to the towels

A salon owner reported April 28 that someone had torn out a portion of the back wall and broke into her salon in the 14000 block of Purdy Drive NW. She said they suspect stole all of the salon’s products, hairstyling tools and even the towels. There was no recoverable evidence at the scene and the salon did not have security cameras.

Vaughn landscaping shop burglarized

The owner of a landscaping business reported April 26 that someone had pried open a door and broke into the business in the 16900 block of South Vaughn Rd NW. Stolen were $3,000 worth of tools including a chainsaw, a generator, two hedge trimmers and three micrometers. The business has a surveillance camera but it does not work.

This story was originally published May 5, 2021 at 5:30 AM.