A 38-year-old Tel Aviv resident posed as an evacuee from the south of Israel in order to secure preferable housing, and was exposed after stealing the personal property of the people who hosted him in their home, Israeli Police reported.
Taking advantage of both national and community efforts to help those displaced by the Swords of Iron War, one Tel Aviv resident sought resources allocated to evacuees and was placed into an available apartment. A complaint was filed to the police by the primary resident of the apartment after he caused property damage and stole items from her.
At the start of the war, a Tel Aviv resident staying abroad saw an opportunity to help evacuees by offering their home to an organization working to help families displaced by Israel's war with Hamas. She worked with the organization to make her home available on an as-needed basis.
Upon returning home, she found that not only had the suspect vacated the apartment after living there for nearly three months, but that there was extensive damage to both the property and her belongings, Israel Police reported.
Irreplaceable items damaged
An antique piece of furniture appeared partially burned, keepsakes and collectibles from Africa were stolen, and several appliances and personal items amounting to nearly NIS 10,000 were taken by the temporary resident.
The complaint led police to launch an investigation into the matter and brought the suspect in for questioning.
The suspect in question posed as a displaced resident of the south to gain access to resources for those impacted by the war, taking resources for himself and taking away the opportunity from those who genuinely needed it, the report said.
The suspect was placed on house arrest following the investigation, with investigators aiming to return the suspected stolen property to its original owner.
The investigation is ongoing.
Holon resident defrauds thousands in donations
Police in Israel’s Central District have arrested a 20-year-old man in Holon, alleging that he has collected tens of thousands of shekels from soldiers and their families since the start of the war on the false promise that he would deliver tactical combat equipment.
The Kfar Saba police station opened an investigation upon receiving a complaint that soldiers and their family and friends were being defrauded.
Over the course of the accelerated investigation, police saw nearly 40 complaints along the same lines, pointing to the suspect, who advertised on social media that he was an importer of the equipment, including helmets, boots, and bulletproof vests.
Police accessed the transfers that soldiers, some of whom are now fighting in Gaza, made to the scammer, in return for equipment that he never delivered. In one case, the suspect allegedly knew that the soldier he was defrauding was on his way to the funeral for a friend who had fallen in battle, and attempted to defraud him anyway.