PERRIS, Calif. (KNX) — Two 18-year-olds from Anaheim along with two minors raised nearly $600 on a street in Perris on Friday. The youths held signs that said they were collecting funds to help a person sick with a tumor.
Riverside County sheriff’s deputies investigated the group gathered at Perris Boulevard and Nuevo Road after receiving complaints from passersby and neighbors. Deputies said they determined the campaign was a scam, and that the photos posted to signs had been pulled from the internet.
The 18-year-olds, who have not yet been identified, were arrested on suspicion of theft by false pretenses. The minors, aged 16 and 15, whose names have been withheld due to their ages, were turned over to Child Protective Services.
The signs and donations were seized.
“The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department discourages residents from donating money to anyone with a homemade sign seeking money because, in most instances, it's a scam,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. “If anyone sees a solicitor with a sign, they are encouraged to report it to the Sheriff’s Department or their local police department.”
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