Murrieta Residents Targeted In Latest Scam

MURRIETA, CA — A scam targeting Murrieta residents has prompted a warning from local officials.

The scam involves a text message about a discount on Murrieta Fire & Rescue t-shirts.

"Please do NOT click on it," Murrieta Police Department and Murrieta Fire & Rescue officials said Friday.

"This shirt is NOT sponsored by or affiliated with Murrieta Fire & Rescue or the Murrieta Firefighters Association," both agencies shared on social media. "It is believed that the text message links are related to a phishing scam."

"We love your support, but don’t want you to be scammed," Murrieta Fire & Rescue said.

According to the FBI, phishing schemes often trick victims into giving personal information to criminals, such as credit card or bank account information.

In a phishing scam, a victim might receive an email or text that appears to be from a legitimate business or organization. The message asks the unsuspecting user to reply or visit a fraudulent website that requests sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, banking PINs, etc. The "spoof" websites can look authentic — like a bank, or local organization.

"These fake websites are used solely to steal your information," according to the FBI.

If you have been a scam victim, contact the Murrieta Police Department at 951-304-2677.