Two Anaheim residents and two teens were arrested in a $589 fundraiser scam in Perris in which they allegedly claimed a child needed money for a bogus medical condition, officials said.
The incident was reported on Friday at 1:35 p.m. at Perris Boulevard and Nuevo Road, according to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff's Deprtment.
The case came to light after deputies received complaints from community members about people soliciting money for a teen suffering from a medical condition, officials said.
Deputies said that the medical condition was made up, and the suspects had used a photo on a sign from the internet.
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Deputies arrested Davide Nistor and Ana Maria Dumitru, both 18. Two teens, 16 and 14, were also taken into custody and later released to child protective services.
The signs and the money collected were seized, officials said.
"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," officials said in the news release.
