Belfair woman had bank account emptied after shopping trip

BELFAIR, Wash. — A Belfair woman is warning other shoppers after her bank account was emptied after a shopping trip in Kitsap County.

Michael Hawkins got a call from Key Bank Tuesday telling her someone had used her debit card to spend $1,200 at a Kmart in New York.

Hawkins said the last place she used her debit card was at the Walmart, just East of Bremerton, Monday.

"I'm just basically so upset about it. When you're on a fixed income and your whole month's check has disappeared on you the day after pay day, it's like, oh my, " said Hawkins.

Hawkins counts on her Social Security check, which is deposited on the third of every month.

She contacted KIRO 7 because she wants other shoppers to check their bank statements.

"I'm concerned about the people who may not know purchases are being made in New York or somewhere else with their card information when they shopped on Monday -- it got taken somehow," said Hawkins.

Hawkins had her daughter call the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office and the store manager. Lyssa Foster, Hawkins' daughter, said the Sheriff's Office told her she could file a police report but there was little they could do because the theft happened in New York.

The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office had not had any other reports of customers having fraud occur at that Walmart on Monday.

KIRO-7 reached out to Walmart and has not received a response.

Hawkins is working with Key Bank to get her money back. The fraud investigation will take 10 days. She's worried about how she'll pay her bills in the meantime. She wants to warn other shoppers that she had her card compromised.

"I have to believe they weren't after just me, " said Hawkins.

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