Teens Targeting Employee Wallets and Purses at Greenwood and Ballard Businesses

by | Mar 7, 2019

KIRO 7 reported on a rash of teen burglaries this week, and then PhinneyWood received a tip that it happened at 1pm today at a local Greenwood business near North 74th Street.

One teen distracted the employee with a product location inquiry while the other stole a purse and exited the premises.

From the tipster: “Within 10 minutes, they had debited my bank account for more than 700 bucks, and charged a bunch on my credit card at QFC on Holman and the Greenwood Fred Meyer. I did call 911 and the officer who responded said he’d try to pull surveillance video from those stores. When I called the North Precinct later to let them know I’d found my purse with everything else still in it (they’d dumped it in Fred Meyer’s parking lot), they told me it’s been happening a lot, and the kids use the stolen cards immediately to buy Visa gift cards, which they can then use whenever. And they’re going for the big bucks cards, since my accounts showed charges of $225 and $500.”

If you work in the district or manage a store, the takeaway is to designate a secure area to store purses and other valuables. Also be aware of distractions, especially if working alone. Stay safe, everyone!

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