Craigslist, Moneygram and Western Union Part of Alleged Fraud Ring

Two separate fraud cases involving Western Union, Moneygram and Craigslist are being investigated by the Murrieta Police Department.

According to a report filed by Murrieta Police Detective Rogelio Vargas, both Miami and San Francisco Police forwarded the fraud cases to him in late June of this year.

In the first case the victim, a Florida man, was combing the internet in search of a driving job, court documents stated.

He came across one that required him to drive someone around Miami for $500 per week.

An unknown person communicated with the victim via email that ‘they’ would pay him $3,850 in advance, Detective Vargas wrote in a report.

The victim received a check for $3,850 and was instructed to keep $660 for his services.

He was then told to send the balance of the check via Western Union money transfer at a person named Jan Murray in Murrieta, the affidavit stated.

The victim was told Jan Murray was the travel agent in charge of making arrangements for the client he would be driving around Miami.

The victim did as he was instructed and sent the balance to Jan Murray in Murrieta.

A few days later the victim learned from his bank his account was overdrawn and the $3,850 check was bad, the report stated.

The second case is almost identical to the first case.

A San Francisco woman was searching on Craigslist for a job.

She found one and started corresponding with a person who identified himself as Danny Montijo, courts records state.

Montijo sent the woman a check for $3,830 and told her to deposit the check, keep $500 for her services and send the balance via Moneygram to Jan Murray in Murrieta, Vargas wrote.

The victim did as she was instructed.

A few days later she learned her account had a negative balance and the check she deposited from Montijo was counterfeit. 

If you have any information related to this case contact Murrieta Police at 951-696-3615.