Carlsborg – Imagine seeing two men at 1:30 in the morning inside a locked-up gas station store trying to smash their way into an ATM machine, calling 911, and then finding out from police that the two suspects were employees of the business, following orders from their boss.
That’s exactly what happened in Carlsborg Thursday morning, but it turns out the employees were scammed.
On August 21, Clallam County Sheriff’s Deputies, Sequim Police Officers, and a Washington State Trooper responded to a report of a possible robbery in progress at the fuel station. Believing a robbery was underway, the caller remained on scene until law enforcement arrived.
Deputies contacted the two males inside the store and saw a large amount of cash on the counter along with tools being used to access the ATM vault. Their investigation determined the men were employees of the business who said they had received a call from someone claiming to be the business owner. The caller instructed them to download a third-party app and call back using a number he provided. The caller then directed the employees to remove cash from the safe, registers, and ATM for an “emergency pickup.”
When the employees said they couldn’t access the ATM, the caller instructed them to break it open, assuring them it was insured. Deputies spoke directly with the caller, who eventually admitted to being a professional scammer. He taunted deputies by saying they would never be able to identify or capture him before cutting off communication.
In the end, no money was stolen. The business only sustained damage to the ATM.
Now the Sheriff’s Office is telling the public that scammers often impersonate business owners, managers, or corporate representatives to trick employees into releasing money or property. If you receive unusual instructions to access cash, safes, or ATMs, verify directly with your employer through a known phone number before taking action.