SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco law enforcement and city leaders are gearing up for a big month ahead and are warning people to be on alert for scammers as the city prepares to host Lunar New Year celebrations and the NBA All Stars Game.

San Francisco city leaders say the city is preparing for two major events, Lunar New Year and the NBA All Stars Game, both set to take place on the third weekend of February. 

The city has just hosted the mayoral inauguration, and the J.P. Morgan healthcare conference, both of which city leaders say were safe and secure. 

“We have to have a successful J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “We have to have a successful Lunar New Year celebration, and a successful NBA All Stars Game. We are getting the word out that San Francisco is again open for business.”

Lunar New Year and the All Stars Game are both expected to draw tens of thousands to the city. San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said San Francisco is ready to show the world it is ready to host large-scale events. 

“Having the Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year parade and the NBA All Stars on the same weekend; that’s going to be a big lift for us,” said Scott. “But, we are prepared for it. We’ve been preparing for this for quite some time.”

Lurie also acknowledged that safety for big events like Lunar New Year and the all-stars game isn’t just about keeping the event physically safe, it’s also about making people feel safe. 

He said that means fully staffing law enforcement and making sure those officers are visible, and doing a better job of making the city presentable, everything from cleaning the streets to getting rid of graffiti.

City leaders are warning that some are already looking to take advantage of the celebrations, and have recently scammed close to $375,000 in cash and valuables from victims in San Francisco. 

Community leaders are warning about a surge in blessing scams, where criminals trick the victims into placing cash or valuables into a bag and then switch the bag leaving the victim with nothing. 

“I’m actually very angry whenever I hear about these blessing scams because these scammers are really, really targeting the most vulnerable members in our community,” said Anni Chung from Self Help for the Elderly.

San Francisco police said they’re warning the Chinese-speaking community in particular to be on the alert going into the Lunar New Year celebrations and asking anyone approached by scammers to contact the police. 

“If you are walking alone, and you are approached by somebody that’s approaching you offering some fortune or good fortune by way of a prayer or a scam, that’s probably going to be a scam,” said Scott. “Stay away from them. Call us, call the police. Report what you see.”