Bradenton woman scammed after online purchase

March 3

SHOULD HAVE KEPT PURSE CLOSED

13000 block of Second Avenue East, Bradenton

Online theft: A woman called the Sheriff's Office after she was scammed. She had purchased a purse on a website that offered new and used items for sale. She began contacting the seller and was negotiating a price. They exchanged several offers and then came to a price. However, she was told she must use Apple Pay for the discounted price of $750. The woman and sent the money. A week later, the purse didn't arrive. The woman tried to contact the seller, who no longer would reply to her and who removed her listing from the website. The woman gave deputies screenshots of the original website listing. She contacted Apple Pay and was told to contact law enforcement. The woman was issued a case number.

March 28

THIEF TOO SLOW AT FAST FOOD JOINT

8000 block of Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota

Attempted burglary: A deputy was dispatched to a fast food restaurant after a report of a person trying to break into cars in the parking lot. A restaurant employee was walking past a coworker's car when he saw a man pulling on the door handles. The employee went and got his coworker who came outside and confronted the man. The car owner then called the Sheriff's Office. Based on statements from the witnesses, the deputy arrested the man for attempted burglary.

March 30

FRIES AND A PURSE TO GO

2900 block of 53rd Avenue East, Bradenton

Theft, fraudulent use of credit card: A woman was eating at a fast food restaurant and she forgot her purse on a table when she left. She didn't realize she had lost her purse until the next day when she contacted the Sheriff's Office. She checked her credit card statements and found two unauthorized transactions at two different businesses in Manatee County. The purchases were both made using the victim`s credit card that was inside the stolen purse.

March 31

SHOE SALE SMELLED BAD

3100 block of 53rd Avenue East, Bradenton

Passing counterfeit: The manager of a shoe store called the Sheriff's Office to report a customer had made the purchase of shoes with cash. The store did record the man's name and phone number. Eventually, the store discovered that $80 of the cash was counterfeit. The cashier didn't realize the cash was counterfeit at the time of purchase. The counterfeit was taken and placed into property and evidence.

April 1

TRIP TO SCAM LAND

10000 block of Old Grove Circle, Bradenton

Online scam: The Sheriff's Office was notified after a resident was scammed when he tried to purchase a vacation online. The man was given instructions to send $1,250 via an online pay service and then the remaining $1,325 on a cashier's check. The man eventually realized it was a fraudulent listing. Deputies advised the man to contact the FBI.