Two 18-year-olds from Anaheim and two minors had raised $589 on a Perris street on Friday, Jan. 14, for a person who their signs said was ill with a tumor.

But when Riverside County sheriff’s deputies who had received complaints about the group at Perris Boulevard and Nuevo Road investigated, that story fell apart, according to a news release. The deputies said they determined it was made up and the photos on the signs had been pulled from the internet.

The adults were arrested on suspicion of theft by false pretenses, and the minors, ages 16 and 14, were turned over to Child Protective Services. The signs and the money 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. If anyone sees a solicitor with a sign, they are encouraged to report it to the Sheriff’s Department or their local police department,” the release said.

Police in the city of Riverside in December issued the same warning after arresting three people who the police said also were scamming the public with a tall tale. The young adults, described as people who move from place to place in groups, had swindled well-meaning donors out of $400 with a sign that said a girl was suffering from “akute leukemy.”