An Anacortes woman on Thurs. Aug. 31, requested a phone call regarding a fraud. She said she received a call from someone claiming to be Publishers Clearing House telling her she had won a large amount of money. The caller said that to secure the prize, she would need to put down a deposit and instructed her to buy a gift card with $500 on it to do so. She bought the gift card and provided the caller with the card information. The caller contacted her again and said she would need to send more money, and she realized it was a scam. She said they have continued to call. The officer spoke with her about some strategies to avoid becoming a victim of these kinds of scams again.
Here are some other incidents that Anacortes Police investigated this week.
Friday, August 25, 2023
An Anacortes man reported that his full propane tank had been taken from his open carport. He requested extra patrols in the 900 block of 27th Street.
An Anacortes man contacted dispatch regarding a vehicle prowl in the 1000 block of L Avenue. An officer contacted the man, who stated that he discovered the contents of his vehicle in disarray, indicating that someone had accessed the vehicle. He discovered that his backpack was missing, containing a variety of personal documents. The man had already taken steps to secure his identity, and he checked the area for security cameras.
An officer responded to a removal request at an Anacortes bar. The owner requested that an Anacortes man be banned. Officers arrived and located the man standing on the street corner next to the business. He told the officers that he was just kicked out of the bar for something that happened eleven years ago. The officer informed the man that the business wanted him trespassed. He refused to sign the notice, and his wife took it and said she would give it to him.
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Dispatch advised of a removal request at a store in the 1400 block of Commercial Avenue. The reporting party advised that a woman had followed her to her car when she left her workplace and was being aggressive toward her. Officers responded and completed a trespass form, which she refused to sign.
Sunday, August 27, 2023
An Anacortes woman reported a vehicle prowl in the 2000 block of 10th Street. The responding officer learned that her car had been left unlocked and had been entered overnight. The only thing taken was $2 in cash, and the woman did not want to pursue the matter further.
Monday, August 28, 2023
Dispatch advised of a motor vehicle crash in the Washington State Ferry parking lot on Ferry Terminal Road. The reporting party said he parked in the upper lot while visiting the San Juan Islands and that he discovered damage to the rear passenger side of his vehicle upon returning to it. The responding officer documented the MVA.
Officers responded to an alarm at an Anacortes store in the 1500 block of Commercial Avenue. The company advised that they had received several indoor motion trips within the store. Officers arrived and observed that both the external and internal sliding doors were ajar. The officer also observed the metal rollup barrier was in the up position. They checked the interior of the building, and an employee arrived and contacted them. The employee granted access to the security system, and the responding officer observed a man approaching the front door inside the store, opening the doors, and exiting the store, before reentering shortly after and then leaving with several items. Officers found $15 on one of the check stand counters. The officers requested that they review video to see where the man came from and what items had been taken.
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
An Anacortes man reported a theft in the 1000 block of Q Avenue. The reporting party took solar panels valued at $4,000 total off the man’s boat. He said they were taken sometime between April 1 and Aug. 13. He said he did not have any suspects.
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
An officer was dispatched to a malicious mischief complaint in the 2200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. Someone had spray-painted graffiti onto a port-a-potty at the location. The responding officer documented the graffiti.