Redmond Woman Scammed With Fake Job, Loses $5,000

REDMOND, WA - A Redmond woman was the victim of a truly awful scam recently, duped into taking a job that didn't exist and then having thousands of dollars stolen from her.

According to police, the woman reported the scam on Nov. 5. The woman had accepted a job online that involving performing administrative tasks remotely. She took the job having only communicated with her "employer" via email or text.

After a week in the fake job, the scammer sent the woman checks to cash in her own bank account. The scammer instructed the woman to buy gift cards with the checks, and then send the gift card numbers to the scammer.

The checks, of course, bounced. The scammer got away with gift cards, the woman was left $5,000 poorer and without a job.

Here are more incidents from the latest Redmond police blotter:

November 5, 2018

• Time: 06:05
• Type: Vehicle Prowl
• Location: 7500 block of 159th Place
• Case Number: 18-006034

A man reported that someone had smashed his car window and stolen his backpack and laptop that had been left inside. The unknown suspect also rifled through his wife's car, but did not damage it.

• Time: Overnight
• Type: Theft
• Location: 16300 block of Cleveland St.

Two residents at a local apartment building reported their bicycles had been stolen sometime overnight. The unknown suspect cut the cable-style locks on both bikes to free them from the rack.

• Time: 18:30
• Type: Residential Burglary
• Location: 16400 block of NE 112th Way
• Case Number: 18-006094

A bike was stolen out of a resident's garage after the door had inadvertently been left open. The culprit is unknown.
November 8, 2018

• Time: 07:00
• Type: Vehicle Prowl
• Location: 16300 block of NE 83rd St.
• Case Number: 18-006103

A laptop was stolen out of an unlocked vehicle.

• Time: 21:30
• Type: Arrest
• Location: NE 40th St. and 156th Ave NE
• Case Number: 18-006114

Police arrested a 25-year-old woman after she was seen driving erratically through a road closed for construction and barreling the wrong way down city streets against traffic. In addition to the reckless driving, the suspect exhibited numerous signs of intoxication when she was contacted by police. Evidence suggested she was not sober and she was taken into custody on suspicion of DUI.
November 9, 2018

• Time: 14:23
• Type: Arrest
• Location: 164th Ave NE and NE 90th St.
• Case Number: 18-006124

Police were called to a traffic collision after a woman rear-ended another vehicle at a stoplight. Upon arrival it was clear to police that the 46-year-old female suspect was under the influence. She was arrested and booked on suspicion of DUI.
November 10, 2018

• Time: 14:50
• Type: Residential Burglary
• Location: 9700 block of 163rd Place NE
• Case Number: 18-006157

A man called police after his electric bike had been stolen out of his garage in the middle of the day while he was inside the house. The victim reported he had accidentally left the garage door open for about two hours and found his bike missing. No information on the suspect was immediately available.
November 11, 2018

• Time: 10:20
• Type: Vehicle Prowl
• Location: 8200 block of 161st Ave NE
• Case Number: 18-006155

Police investigated a car prowl after a man found his car window smashed and two laptops and a camera missing from inside. The suspect is not known.

• Time: 15:39
• Type: Commercial Burglary
• Location: 7700 block of 185th Ave NE
• Case Number: 18-006160

An employee at a welding company called police after he arrived at work to find the door had been pried open and thousands of dollars of tools and merchandise had been stolen. Officers gathered evidence at the scene but no arrests have been made.

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