Police Log: Fire; Drugs; Plus, DMV Scofflaws Cited and Towed

Residents in Contra Costa County and the Fremont area were targets last week of new telephone scams, according to regional law enforcement. 

The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about a suspect posing as a sheriff's deputy who scams people into sending him money, a sheriff's spokesman said.

During the calls, the suspect identifies himself as "Lt. Stevens," claims there is a warrant for the person's arrest and requests money over the phone via prepaid credit cards to clear the warrant, sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee said.

"A number of people have fallen for the scam and sent money to this individual," Lee said, adding no one named Lt. Stevens works at the sheriff's office, which does not request payments to clear arrest warrants over the phone.

Anyone who receives this type of call is advised not to give out personal information and to contact police.

In the Fremont area, meanwhile, several residents contacted police last week regarding another telephone scam possibly targeting the South Asian Indian community, according to the Fremont Police Department.  

In all cases, the victims were called from a 202 area-code number by suspects identifying themselves as the IRS and telling the residents they owe approximately $9,000. Subjects are threatened with arrest or having their Visas or passports revoked if they do not pay through a money exchange or wire service.

 In all cases, the callers instruct victims to get a GreenDot MoneyPak — a card that allows customer to reload prepaid cards, add money to PayPal accounts and make payments to companies without using a bank account. 

In other area crime news:

Saturday, Sept. 7

• Vehicle towed for overdue registration 8:24 a.m. on 6200 Dublin Boulevard.
• Use/influence of controlled substances reported on 7100 San Ramon Road 1:36 a.m.
  
• Controlled substance possession reported 7:36 p.m. along 7200 Amador Plaza Road.
• Domestic assault reported 10:46 a.m. on the 2300 block of Encanto Way.
  
• Flood on Stoneridge Mall Road.
• Six cars catch fire at Livermore outlets.   

• Vehicle reported stolen 7:26 a.m. on 7500 Amador Valley Boulevard.
• Shoplifting: 3:18 p.m. at Fallon Gateway Shopping Center on Dublin Boulevard. 
  
• Motorist cited for false display of registration 9:31 a.m. Gleason Drive at Madigan Avenue.
  
• Big rig fire on I-580 offramp.

• Vehicle reported stolen 9:36 a.m. on 4300 Toyota Drive.
• Vehicle towed overdue registration 3:57 p.m. Lee Thompson Street and Palermo Way. 
  
• House fire on Wicklow Lane.
• Hunter's illegal fire blamed for rim fire in Sierras.

• Burglary reported 11:12 a.m. on 7200 Regional Street.
• Innkeeper defrauded 10:18 p.m. on 7500 Dublin Boulevard.
• Shoplifting 1:50 p.m. on 4800 Dublin Boulevard. 
• Theft using access-card information logged 12:02 a.m. on the 7000 block of Wineberry  Way.

• Battery reported 4:45 a.m. on 5500 West Las Positas Boulevard.
• Suspicious circumstances investigated 6:30 p.m. on the 6600 block of Maple Drive.
  
• Grand theft of a bicycle reported on 100 Civic Plaza 11:27 a.m. 
  

• Theft reported 12:30 a.m. along 11300 Dillon Way.
• Shoplifting: 1:06 p.m. on 6900 Amador Plaza Road. 
  
• Vandalism: 12:01 a.m. along 8000 Via Zapata.
  
• Possession of narcotics/controlled substances or marijuana reported: 10:15 a.m. on 5000 Hacienda Drive; 12:47 a.m. on 6600 Regional Street; 4:32 p.m on San Ramon Road and I-580.
  
• Domestic assault reported 5:34 p.m. on the 8400 block of Bandon Drive.
  
• Vehicle towed for overdue registration on Hacienda Drive at Martinelli Way 9:33 a.m.
  

• Vandals in Livermore shoot windows of 30-plus cars.
• Domestic assault reported 9:58 a.m. on the 7800 block of Tamarack Drive.
• Telephone harassment logged on the 2900 blockof West Sugar Hill Terrace 8:53 p.m.
• Controlled-substance possession reported 10:08 p.m. Hacienda Drive and Martinelli Way.
• Public intoxication reported 1:58 a.m. on 4100 Grafton Street.  
• Use/influence of controlled substances reported Eden Canyon Road and I-580 at 1:31 a.m.