SFPD Taraval Captain Warns of Uptick in Scams

Recently, SFPD Taraval Station A/Captain Aaron Lozada warned local residents, merchants and community stakeholders about an uptick in reports of financial scams. As the holiday season gets underway—historically a popular time for scams—it’s important for community members in the Taraval district and beyond to be aware of what’s out there so they can avoid becoming victims.

“During this last week, I reviewed a couple of reports where the victim reported being scammed out of thousands of dollars,” said A/Captain Lozada. “It is very rare to recoup the lost money and can be devastating financially to our victims. I’d like to remind our Taraval residents to be aware of financial scams.”

According to A/Captain Lozada, there are many different tactics that criminals use to scam unsuspecting people. Here’s what he says to look out for:

Fake Check Scams: Consumers are paid with phony checks for work or for items they’re trying to sell, then are instructed to wire money back to buyer.

Prizes/Sweepstakes/Free Gifts: Requests for payment to claim fictitious prizes, lottery winnings or gifts.

Recovery/Refund Companies: Scammers contact victims and claim the consumer owes money on a fictitious debt or to help recover money lost in a previous scam.

Advance Fee Loans, Credit Arrangers: False promises of business or personal loans, even if credit is bad, for a fee upfront.

Phishing/Spoofing: Emails pretending to be from a well-known source ask consumers to enter or confirm personal information.

Computers: Equipment and software scammers claim to offer “technical support” for computer problems and charge a fee to fix a nonexistent problem.

Scholarships/Grants: For a fee, a “search company” offers to conduct customized search for scholarships or grants for students. Scammers take money and run or provide a worthless list.

Friendship & Sweetheart Swindles: Con artist nurtures an online relationship, builds trust and convinces the victim to send money.

Charitable Solicitations: Scammers contact victims claiming to represent nonexistent charities (or real charities they don’t actually work for) and ask for donations.

If you are the victim of a scam—or have identified someone running one—contact the SFPD at 415-553-0123.