Rampant false unemployment claims, car prowls | Mercer Island police blotter

A sample from the most recent Mercer Island police log.

May 11

Car prowl: A female victim in the 2700 block of 76th Avenue Southeast reported that her vehicle was prowled sometime between 6 p.m. May 9 and 10:40 a.m. May 11. The driver’s side lock was broken. An attempt to steal the car had apparently been made. It was reported that the car’s ignition was extensively damaged. Damage costs are estimated at about $600.

May 10

Theft: A female victim reported that her roadside mailbox in the 9700 block of Southeast 41st Street was broken into. Video surveillance shows a vehicle stopping at her mailbox, using what appears to be a flashlight to look inside, and then driving off. The amount and type of mail taken are unknown.

May 8

Fraud: In the 7000 block of West Mercer Way, a female victim reported that someone had used her name and Social Security number to open an account with Optimum Cable in New Jersey.

Burglary: A female victim reported that her storage unit in the 7500 block of Southeast 29th Street was broken into sometime between March 10 and May 10. Silver tape, according to the victim, was placed on the inside of the door and over the faceplate, preventing the unit’s door from locking. There was no reported damage to the door. The victim said that a gray duffel bag and a carry-on bag were stolen.

May 7

More fraud: A female victim in the 7200 block of North Mercer Way reported that her name and Social Security number had been used to file an unemployment claim.

Even more fraud: A male victim in the 7500 block of Southeast 71st Street reported that his work’s human resources department had informed him that his Social Security number had been used to claim unemployment fraudulently. The suspect incorrectly listed the victim’s dates of employment, which got the application flagged down.

Another fraud: An employee of Slalom Consulting reported that someone had attempted to file an unemployment claim using his information.

Yet again, fraud: A female victim in the 4300 block of 86th Avenue Southeast reported that after checking her bank statement, she noticed that someone had used $3,000 to make fraudulent purchases.

May 4

Identity theft: A female victim in the 7600 block of Southeast 29th Street reported that someone had filed for unemployment insurance using her identity.

May 3

Car prowl: In the 2800 block of 75rg Street Southeast, a male victim reported that someone smashed his rear window and took his empty laptop bag. The car was parked at the Mercer Tower Apartments. The bag is worth around $30. The damage to the car is estimated to be $375.

May 2

Car prowl: A victim in the 2800 block of 75th Place Southeast reported that their car was prowled. Their work tablet and printer, amounting to about $1,600, were stolen.

April 30

More fraud: Two victims in the 4200 block of East Mercer Way reported that between Feb. 1 and April 6, an unknown party has continuously unlawfully accessed their Bank of America account. Several charges have been made to their account.

April 24

Fraudulent purchases: A victim in the 8400 block of Southeast 37th Street reported that someone had broken into their mailbox. Their credit card was stolen and was subsequently used for fraudulent purchases.

April 20

Informational report: A male victim reported that at around noon on April 9 in the 8800 block of Southeast 54th Street, a plumbing truck backed into a resident’s basketball hoop. The plumbing company didn’t want to pay for the property damage — estimated by the victim to be about $2,200 — so a report was completed.