The man reported Monday (May 8) that he had recently purchased a computer and that he had received a message that his computer had been hacked after it froze. He called the provided phone number that appeared to be associated with Microsoft, and the person on the phone told the man that five Chinese hackers had gained access to his computer and had purchased a subscription to an illicit website. He was advised that he needed to withdraw $29,000 from his bank account and transfer it into a different account to prevent the subscription from going through. The reporting party said he provided his home address, phone number, last four digits of his social security number and the last four digits of his debit card number. He then realized it was a scam and ceased contact with the individuals. He reached out to his bank, which advised no suspicious activity had occurred on his account. The responding officer suggested the man keep an eye on his bank account and credit and referred him to IC3.gov for further reporting.
Here are some other incidents that Anacortes Police investigated this week.
Friday, May 5, 2023
Officers responded to a reported burglary that had occurred the previous day. The reporting party, an Anacortes woman, said she had left the house the morning before and did not notice anything out of the ordinary when she returned. She then left again and returned to find the back door of her residence and garage in the 2600 block of W. 3rd Street open. She did not notice anything missing and could not find any damage where someone would have forced their way in. A neighbor reported having seen a woman in the back of the house while the reporting party was gone. The reporting party said she had ongoing issues with other neighbors in the area, and she said she believed the neighbor could have been the one to enter the residence. The neighbors denied having any knowledge of or involvement in the incident.
The Anacortes Parks Department reported graffiti on park structures at Storvik Park, estimating that it would cost about $100 to remove the graffiti. An officer documented the vandalism.
Saturday, May 6, 2023
An Anacortes man called and reported that his house had been egged and toilet-papered sometime overnight. The man explained that he had been outside his house with his children when two juveniles walked by and began yelling racial slurs at him and his family. That night, someone threw eggs, toilet paper and pasta at his residence. The reporting party did not have any suspect information, but believed the juveniles from the previous day may have been involved. The responding officer spoke with the reporting party about obtaining a court order should he feel it necessary, and the man requested extra patrols around his home.
An Anacortes woman called and reported that a woman was breaking into an abandoned house behind her address. Officers responded and found two screens removed from the downstairs windows of the house. Officers responded and could not locate anyone inside the home.
Sunday, May 7, 2023
Officers responded to a reported harassment call in the 2500 block of Commercial Avenue. An Anacortes man reported that a subject had been harassing him and assaulting him and was on-site looking in a mailbox. The man believed that he had been dosed with something by the suspect. The building owner requested that the suspect be banned, and the responding officer suggested that the reporting party obtain a no-contact order. The investigation continues.
Dispatch advised of a domestic violence call on Heart Lake Road. The reporting party advised that his girlfriend had punched him. Officers located the girlfriend walking along Heart Lake Road, and she said that an argument had occurred, and her boyfriend had said hurtful things about her past and that her instant reaction was to hit him. The responding officer asked how she had hit him, and she said, “Oh, I punched him in the face.” She was taken into custody for assault.
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
An officer responded to a report of trespassing in the 900 block of 11th Street. A store manager advised that an Anacortes man was in the store in violation of his trespass notice. Dispatch confirmed an active trespass on file for the man. Officers contacted the man and advised that he would be receiving a citation for trespassing. He said he knew he was trespassed from the location. The officer issued a citation for trespassing, and the man said he understood and left the area.
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Officers responded to a local convenience store for a fraud complaint. The reporting party reported that a customer had come in and purchased a drink and presented what the cashier believed to be a $20 bill. He provided her with the change, and she left. The clerk then realized that the bill was actually a movie prop that read “for motion picture purposes” on both sides. The man was beside himself because he had not realized that it was fake at the time. Another employee accessed surveillance, and the officer took custody of the prop bill and video footage.