The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help to identify two suspects accused of stealing an elderly victim’s ATM card and using it to withdraw large amounts of cash earlier this month.
In the early afternoon on Monday, July 17, deputies responded to the area of Chase Bank at 12400 Southeast Sunnyside Road in Clackamas. A 911 caller had reported that two people had stolen a debit card and were inside the bank using it to withdraw money.
The suspects then reportedly ran out of the bank and fled east on Southeast Sunnyside Road.
The victim told investigators that she had been using her debit card to buy groceries at a nearby grocery store earlier that day.
She reported that a man and woman were in line behind her, and that the man was standing close behind her and may have seen her use her personal identification number during the transaction.
As the woman was completing her transaction, the man standing behind her asked her if she had dropped a $10 bill, then kept trying to give her a $10 bill.
Surveillance video of the interaction later revealed that the man had pulled something (most likely, a $10 bill) out of his pocket and dropped it on the ground before picking it up and speaking with the victim.
The man and woman then followed the woman into the parking lot, continuing to ask her if she’d dropped something and asking her to check her wallet. The woman checked her wallet in front of the pair.
She told police she believes her debit card may have been stolen out of the wallet while one of the suspects distracted her.
After returning home, the victim received notifications of multiple withdrawals on her bank account. The victim then drove to the Chase bank branch and saw the same man and woman in the bank’s check-out line. She yelled that they had stolen her debit card, and the man and woman ran out of the bank.
Anyone who can help police identify the suspects is urged to contact the sheriff’s office tip line by phone at 503-723-4949 or by using the online form. Please reference case number 23-014880.
Deputies advise that criminals may sometimes attempt to watch someone enter their PIN on a debit card or the unlock key on a phone, then attempt to steal the card or device to access cash or personal information.
If possible, use a tap-based payment method (or a credit card that doesn’t require a PIN) during transactions where someone might see you using that PIN. If you must enter a PIN, be aware of your surroundings and whether someone might be watching you.
