Incident Date:
Monday, April 28th, 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:
4:30pm 50 Phelan Theft
San Francisco City College Police Officer Chang was patrolling parking lot “C” when he noticed three students standing around a vehicle. One of them was wanted for the theft of a laptop from the school’s “Wellness Center”. Along with SFCCSF Officers Wong, McGlaston, Sanchez, and Sgt. Russo, the suspect was taken into custody and charged with theft of an Apple laptop worth $200 dollars, along with a probation violation and other charges. Report number: 130921891
4:45pm Mission/Laura Resisting Arrest
A man driving on Mission Street with a cell phone planted against his left ear caught the attention of Ingleside Officers Barajas, Padilla, and Seavey. As the officers pulled next to the car, the driver began yelling obscenities at the patrol officers saying, “You don’t know what I got in here”, which implied he had some type of weapon. The officers stopped the vehicle near the intersection of Brunswick and Oliver Streets and asked the driver for his license, registration, and insurance. But the driver continued his verbal abuse shouting, “I ain’t giving you s..t”. Finally, after refusing to cooperate in any way, the officers forcibly removed the combative driver and placed him in handcuffs. He was cited for the vehicle code violation, resisting arrest, and released at the scene. Shortly thereafter Officers Barajas, Padilla, and Seavey spotted the same motorist with a cell phone planted next to his ear driving on Geneva Avenue. When he spotted the officers he gave them a one finger salute, then sped away and escaped before they could detain him again. Report number: 140352424
10:42pm 200 Blk Clipper Carjacking
All S.F.P.D. officers were on high alert this evening looking for a violent carjacking suspect who stole a Scion sedan from its owner in a Mission Street grocery store shopping lot the previous evening. An alert parking control officer spotted the stolen car on the 200 block of Clipper Street and notified dispatch. Officers Antonian and Hunt went to the address and, while inspecting the car from the outside, noticed a backpack on the vehicles floor. While waiting for a tow truck to arrive, the officers noticed a Honda van, with two occupants slowly driving past the vehicle. The officers suspected the occupants of the van may be related to the carjacking. So, the officers hid themselves from view and watched as the van continued for about a block before turning around and driving by slowly by the carjacked car. Soon thereafter, the van stopped at the corner and a man exited the vehicle and slowly walked past the car for a short distance and then turned around and went to the passenger side of the car where he opened the door and grabbed the backpack. It was then that officers Antonian and Hunt confronted the man yelling, “Get on the ground, Police”. The suspect started backing away and the officers, fearing that he might flee the scene, quickly wrestled him to the ground and, after a brief struggle, placed him in handcuffs. Soon, numerous Ingleside and Mission units arrived on scene to help with the arrest and investigation. The suspect was taken to the county jail and booked for carjacking with a gun, possession of stolen property, and resisting arrest. A woman occupant of the Honda van, who was on probation, was questioned and released. Report number: 140353018
Serious Incidents:
6:10pm 900 Blk Delano Burglary
A resident cooking dinner in his garage heard footsteps on the stairs leading from the garage to the basement. Thinking it was a friend of the landlord, the resident went to say hello. However, instead of the landlord’s friend, the resident spotted a stranger, a young man holding a hedge trimmer. The resident screamed, “Who the f… are you?”. The burglar didn’t answer, but, instead, turned and escaped through the slightly open garage door. The victim didn’t chase him but he did find the suspect’s bicycle in front of his home. A witness told Ingleside Officers Elliston and Conway that he noticed the man ride a bike up to his neighbor’s home and dismount and lean against a fence. He stood there for a short time, scanning the area to see if he was being watched, before going inside his neighbor’s garage and disappearing. A short time later he saw the same man running from the garage and escaping around the corner. Fortunately, nothing was stolen during the burglary. Report number: 140352929
Vehicle and Other Incidents:
12:01am 100 Blk John F Shelley Recovered Vehicle
7:34am Cayuga/San Juan Recovered Vehicle
8:30am 500 Blk Silver Burglary
12:00pm Unit Blk Burlwood Burglary
12:48pm 1200 Blk Athens Recovered Vehicle
3:52pm 100 Blk Campbell Battery
4:00pm 3600 Blk Mission Theft from Vehicle
11:30pm Dolores/30th Traffic Collision
11:54pm 3300 Blk Mission Recovered Vehicle
Burglaries with suspect description:
No Incidents to Report.
