From the Wellesley Police Department:

SCAM ALERT: Recent extortion/threat scam targeting local residents.

Scammers send text messages claiming to be with a drug cartel, warning recipients that they must call a number included in the text to pay fines – associated with a fictional “adult service”.

The scammers claim to have the addresses for you and your family and if you don’t call the number and pay the fines your family will be harmed. Several graphic photos of injured persons follow.

The personal information included in these texts is easily accessed via public websites and/or social media sites.

This is a scam. Several local agencies have received similar reports recently and this scam is prevalent across the country. If you are contacted ignore the message and notify the Wellesley Police at 781.235.1212.

More: Wellesley Police logs