Incident Date:
Thursday, April 24th, 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
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.
Heat wave: Many residents are leaving their windows and doors open in an effort to keep cooler as the temperature increases during these gorgeous 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. A third of all the burglaries committed in the Ingleside district during the month of April were due to open garages and unlocked or open windows. Also, remember to keep hydrated with lots of water!!
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:
5:00am 100 Blk Harvard Aggravated Assault
Two elderly parents dialed “911” to report one of their sons had attacked their other son and trashed their home while possibly high on drugs. Ingleside Officers Adams, Zahn, Curry, LaRocca, Rand, along with Sgt’s Walker and Kumli responded and found the suspect hiding in a small room in the attic portion of the home. The adult son refused commands to leave his room and used a wooden board to jab at the officers while violently resisting arrest. The officers were finally able to control the suspect using various means and he was taken from the home and transported first to San Francisco General for evaluation and then to the county jail where he was booked for aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and an outstanding arrest warrant. Report number: 140338941
5:22pm 100 Blk Tioga Drugs/Stolen Vehicle
A vehicle speeding through an intersection of Olmsted and Girard, without stopping at the stop sign, caught the obvious attention of Ingleside Officers Thompson and Barajas. The officers started following the vehicle and became seriously concerned as the driver sped through several other intersections with great disregard for pedestrians and other vehicles. The speeding driver lost the trailing officers but Thompson and Girard, along with other Ingleside units, continued their search of the neighborhood until they soon found the car with two passengers, near the intersection of Wilde and Tioga Streets. The older Honda was parked but the two occupants were just exiting the car when Thompson and Barajas confronted them. The two suspects, upon seeing both officers, started throwing pill bottles and tools into nearby bushes. The officers put both suspects in handcuffs and, along with Ingleside Officers Snadow and Aylsworth, recovered several stolen bottles of prescription narcotics along with a quantity of methamphetamine. The tools belonged to the owner of the stolen Honda the two suspects were driving. A computer check revealed both suspects had a significant criminal history of narcotics violations, possession of stolen property, and auto theft. They were arrested and taken to Ingleside Station for booking. Report number: 140341740
9:19pm Agnon/Crescent Stolen Vehicle
Another vehicle, this one stopped in the middle of Agnon Street near Crescent, caught the attention of Ingleside Officers Padilla and Seavey. The officer’s patrol car illuminated the vehicle enough for them to notice there was only one occupant, the driver. After a short while, the vehicle started to move and Padilla and Seavey decided to “run the plates” to see if the SUV was stolen. The hunch was confirmed and Seavey and Padilla radioed for backup while following the stolen vehicle at a safe distance. The officers momentarily lost sight of the vehicle but it was soon found with the help of Ingleside Officers Kerlegan and Gonzalez at the dead end portion of Aztec Street. The driver wasn’t in the car but he was quickly located at the nearby intersection of Bessie and Manchester surrounded by several Ingleside officers. A records check revealed that the driver had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. A search found a quantity of methamphetamine and marijuana in his pockets. He was transported to Ingleside station and booked on several charges. Report number: 140341502
Serious Incidents:
7:40pm 700 Blk Faxon Robbery
A man walking home from work was robbed of his IPhone and $200 in cash. The victim told Ingleside Officer Dilag the suspect approached him on foot and told him, “I have a gun, give me your money”. The victim, fearing for his life, surrendered his phone and cash which the suspect quickly grabbed and then ran to a waiting vehicle. The vehicle, with a woman driver, sped away eastbound on Westwood Way. Report number: 140341176
Vehicle and Other Incidents:
5:07am 5000 Blk Mission Warrant Arrest
8:00am 50 Phelan Theft from Building
9:00am 200 Blk Chenery Stolen Vehicle
10:00am Folsom/Alemany Stolen Vehicle
12:43pm Unit Blk College Terrace Recovered Vehicle
1:50pm 1000 Blk Tompkins Vandalism to Property
3:00pm San Jose/Ocean Stolen Vehicle
4:00pm 100 Blk Goldmine Theft from Vehicle
4:22pm 1700 Blk Sunnydale Warrrant Arrest
5:33pm 4200 Blk Folsom Recovered Vehicle
7:00pm Unit Blk Newton Stolen Vehicle
7:30pm Unit Blk Stanford Heights Stolen Vehicle
7:55pm Munich/Rolph Battery
9:19pm Agnon/Crescent Recovered Vehicle
11:22pm Oshaughnessy/Del Vale Traffic Collision
Burglaries with suspect description:
No Incidents to Report.
