Incident Date:
Thursday, April 17th, 2014
The next community meeting at Ingleside Station will be held on May 20, 2014. Thank you.
A person calling San Francisco residents identifying himself as a San Francisco deputy sheriff tells victims that he called regarding some sort of violation unknown by the victim and required money immediately to remedy the situation. For example, on numerous occasions, the “deputy” stated he worked in the warrants division and required several hundred dollars from residents to clear up old warrants or else another deputy would arrive at the residents’ address to arrest them. The “deputy” required victims to go to a local drug store, such as CVS, Walgreen’s, etc. to obtain a GreenDot MoneyPak (a pre-paid debit card used for in-store or online purchases) and load the card with several hundred to several thousand dollars. The “deputy” told residents to call back once they obtain the pre-paid debit card, scratch off the gray box to reveal the access codes then read the code to the “deputy” over the telephone.
As time went on over the past four weeks, we noticed that the amount “required” by the “deputy” increased from a couple of hundred dollars to several thousands of dollars. As the caller tested the local response, he became more confident in this scam.
We have also received similar reports with the caller identifying himself as an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The “FBI agent” states that victims need to send him pre-paid debit card information via telephone or else victims will be placed under arrest.
Related to these crime, but with a much wider scope, are people identifying themselves as Internal Revenue Service employees. These “employees” claim that victims owed massive sums of money in back taxes and required immediate funds – again, through use of pre-paid debit cards – to remedy the situation or face immediate arrest. In one instance, the “IRS employee” required the victim to purchase an $8000 Reload it pre-paid debit card and provide the card’s access information via telephone.
These are all illegal confidence schemes. The callers are confidence men, better known as con artists.
If you receive any such solicitations via telephone, please do your best to note the phone number used, time of day, the name the caller identifies him/herself as, and anything distinguishable about his or her voice.
Be advised that neither the Sheriff’s Department nor federal government solicit funds related to criminal justice matters via telephone calls and any outreach regarding such matters would be made in person or through post office correspondence.
If you feel that you were the victim of such scams, please contact the police immediately. While being duped out of money by fear of arrest can be embarrassing to admit, this is happening to your families, friends and neighbors. Do not be a silent victim.
Our Fraud unit is aware of – and investigating – this ongoing scam. The Fraud unit can be reached at 415-553-1521 Monday thru Friday during normal business hours.
Please contact the police at 415-553-0123 if you have received a phone call from such a con artist. You can also contact the Federal Trade Commission for IRS-related scams at http://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.
The San Francisco Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) is free training from the San Francisco Fire Department in how to help yourself and your neighbors prepare for and respond to a disaster by working together. The 20-hour training, taught by First Responders, includes personal preparedness, light search and rescue, disaster medicine, shutting off your utilities, and how to participate as a member of a neighborhood response team. NERT also offers continuing training for graduates and activities that support building robust neighborhood teams. For more information, visit the NERT website at http://sfgov.org//sffdnert, or contact Lt. Erica Arteseros at (415)970-2022 or sffdnert@sfgov.org
Ingleside District Nert Training
Lick Wilmerding HS
755 Ocean Ave
March 18, 6:30-10:00p: Class 1
March 25, 6:30-10:00p: Class 2
April 1, 6:30-9:30p: Class 3
April 8, 6:30p-10:00p: Class 4
school closed April 15
April 22, 6:30p-9:30p: Class 5
755 Ocean Ave
March 18, 6:30-10:00p: Class 1
March 25, 6:30-10:00p: Class 2
April 1, 6:30-9:30p: Class 3
April 8, 6:30p-10:00p: Class 4
school closed April 15
April 22, 6:30p-9:30p: Class 5
April 29, 6:30p-10:00p: Class 6
Are you someone who is interested in disaster preparedness and wants to help out your community while working hand in hand with law enforcement? Then the ALERT program is for you!
What is the A.L.E.R.T. Program?
The San Francisco Police Department has developed a volunteer citizen disaster preparedness program. The Auxiliary Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) is modeled after and works in partnership with the San Francisco Fire Department's Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT). The ALERT program will train members of the public to assist law enforcement in essential tasks after a major disaster. Such tasks may include: traffic control, foot patrol of business and residential areas, and reporting criminal activity. Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age and live, work, or attend high school in San Francisco.
Three steps to becoming an
A.L.E.R.T. volunteer:
1. Complete NERT training and receive certification. To register for NERT training courses please visit www.sfgov.org/sfnert
2. Once NERT certified, forward a copy of your NERT ID card to the ALERT program. sfpdalert@sfov.org
3. After clearing a basic background check the individual is eligible to register for ALERT training.
The next training class has been scheduled for May 3rd, 2014, from 8:00am – 5:00pm. This class will be held at the San Francisco Police Academy, in the parking lot bungalow.
Weather Related Crime Alert: Many residents are leaving their windows and doors open in an effort to keep cooler as the temperature increases during these nice sunny days. Be extra careful, especially when you leave your home, paying attention to secure the windows and doors when you leave. Burglars are always looking for the easiest way inside your home. Don’t give them the opportunity for the easy access. Make sure to secure these entry points and leave them locked when you are not around.
Crime Alert: As of the start of April ‘2014 there has been an increase in auto boostings in the Noe Valley, Glen Park and Bernal Heights Area. Ingleside officers have stepped up patrol in these areas but, we ask you that you do your part to prevent from being a victim. Take extra precautions to avoid a criminal from window-shopping inside your car. Never give them a reason to break into your car and steal your belongings. Try to park in a well lit area and always lock your doors and secure your windows. Never leave possessions in plain view and never leave important documents inside your car that contain personal information. Remember, if a criminal is unsuccessful and is not benefitting from his criminal activity, the thief will move on, thus making your neighborhood less of a target.
Arrests:
4:20am 5800 Blk Mission False Report
Emergency responders are busy enough. They don’t like responding to false reports of people in need which jeopardizes the safety of patients who need medical assistance in a real emergency. This morning, several false calls of a medical emergency resulted in a citation from Ingleside Officers Lozano and Ng. Both were dispatched to meet with rescue fire personnel at an address on the 5800 block of Mission Street. It was there that a Fire Department captain and paramedics told them about a 911 abuser. The captain and paramedics said they were called to this address by a citizen suffering from chest pains. When they arrived and medically evaluated the patient they found he had no signs of medical impairment. This was the same man who was evaluated for the same symptoms, by the same emergency responders, and called for assistance only a half hour before. What’s more, the same citizen, with the same symptoms, had asked for medical assistance the week before and was taken to the hospital for evaluation where physicians failed to find any need for emergency medical intervention. He was ultimately cited for abusing “911”. Report number: 140318169
5:00am 4900 Blk Mission Robbery
A “Craig’s List” transaction gone bad led to the arrest of a suspect for robbery and assault with a gun. The two victims, from San Jose, walked into Ingleside Station and told their “near death” story to Ingleside Sgt’s. Gasanyan and Maron. The man and woman said they earned a living buying and selling items such as high end purses and clothing, cell phones, and laptop computers on Craig’s List and E-Bay. A few days before they were contacted by a frequent customer who said she had some expensive purses she wanted to sell. The two victims agreed to meet her at a grocery store parking lot with three thousand dollars in cash. However, when the buyers met the seller she had two unknown male accomplices. The sellers pulled out weapons, a gun and a knife, and demanded the cash. A struggle ensued and the woman buyer was injured after being cut by the knife. Fortunately, both victims escaped and went to a hospital for treatment of their wounds before traveling to Ingleside Station to report the crime. Sgt. Gasanyan, Sgt. Alvarez, along with Officers Lozano, Barajas, and Ng continued the investigation and discovered an ad for the woman suspect on a website used by “escorts”. A picture in the ad matched the woman’s mug shot photo. A transaction was arranged by the officers at a local address and when she arrived, she was arrested for robbery and aggravated assault. Report number: 140318404
7:15pm 5200 Blk Mission Firearm
A vehicle illegally parked in a bus zone caught the attention of Ingleside Officers Archilla and Yuen. The officers noted there were two men in the car but no one in the driver’s seat. After exiting their patrol car, the officers walked up to the vehicle and asked the occupants for their identification. One of the occupants was on probation with a search condition for a firearm violation. The back seat passenger didn’t have identification but gave his name. The woman who owned the car arrived and was asked to sit down on the sidewalk next to the two male occupants while the car was searched. It was during Officer Yuen’s search that an unregistered firearm was discovered in the back seat. The parolee was taken to Ingleside Station and booked for illegal possession of a firearm and other crimes. Report number: 140320136
Serious Incidents:
No Incidents to Report.
Vehicle and Other Incidents:
1:45am 500 Blk Holloway Stolen License Plate
8:30am 500 Blk Leland Burglary
11:45am Mission/Ocean Restraining Order Violation
1:10pm Plymouth/Ocean Traffic Collision
4:37pm 100 Blk Bosworth Annoying Phone Calls
7:15pm 600 Blk Portola Theft from Vehicle
7:15pm 300 Blk Lisbon Battery
7:18pm Unit Blk Tioga Recovered Vehicle
10:00pm Bayshore/Cortland Stolen Vehicle
Burglaries with suspect description:
No Incidents to Report.
