He asked for donations for IDF soldiers and defrauded dozens of businesses

The investigators of the Fraud Division in the Jerusalem district completed the investigation of a defendant in sophisticated fraud offenses with an estimated value of half a million NIS, while cynically exploiting the public's desire to help soldiers during wartime. After his detention was extended from time to time, the police prosecution filed the indictment against him.

The police investigation began following a complaint received recently from a business in the city of Jerusalem selling pizzas, according to which the owner of the business was stung by a person who made a telephone contact and placed an order for dozens of pizza trays for IDF soldiers as a tribute and in recognition of their activities as part of the “Iron Swords” war.

As soon as the complaint was received, the fraud investigators in the central unit of the Jerusalem District began an undercover investigation in cooperation with the credit companies.

From the investigation of the case in the Jerusalem district, it emerged that shortly after the accused made the order, he called the business again and asked to send the soldiers a monetary donation as well and therefore, asked to give the courier who would come to pick up the delivery of pizzas a large amount of money in cash, and to charge the credit card details which delivered The cost of the many pizza trays and the cash in this case amounted to tens of thousands of NIS.

Some time later, a courier arrived to pick up the expensive order from the business. Only a few days later, it became clear to the business owner that the transaction was made using credit information fraudulently obtained from innocent citizens.

As part of an undercover investigation that was opened as mentioned in the fraud unit in the Jerusalem district in the cooperation of the credit companies, the police investigators traced and located dozens of additional cases of fraud that occurred in Jerusalem and in various places throughout the country.

There, too, the accused acted in a cunning way, under the guise of a donation from the depths of his heart to the IDF soldiers, and thus managed to defraud dozens of businesses of an estimated amount of about half a million NIS after sending hundreds of pizza trays, monetary donations, and ordering various wines and alcoholic beverages with other people's money.

The findings of the police investigation revealed that the accused fraudulently obtained credit card information from businesses and innocent citizens, posing as a representative of the various credit companies.

On April 17, 2024, the investigation became public, when the accused (48) was located in a hotel in the city of Ashdod. He was arrested by police detectives and transferred to the fraud unit in Jerusalem for investigation, after many cases of fraud and illegal use of credit information accumulated against him.

After the defendant's detention was extended from time to time and an evidentiary basis was compiled for his many actions, the Jerusalem District Police Prosecution Unit submitted the indictment against him, along with a request to order his detention until the end of the proceedings. The indictment includes many cases and accusations of receiving something fraudulently under aggravating circumstances, attempting to use or using an essential component of a means of payment.

Inspector Yevgeni Braverman, the investigation officer in the fraud division of the Jerusalem district said: “From the beginning of the war, the defendant acted with great sophistication while creating various false representations through which he fraudulently obtained credit information of citizens. He cynically exploited the whole issue of donations to the IDF soldiers and security forces fighting on the front – a sensitive issue for everyone. He made contact with many businesses and pretended to be a representative of a business entity and sometimes as an executive in the economy, and made the purchase of goods for thousands of NIS under the guise of a donation to the IDF soldiers fighting in the various sectors. During the investigation, we collected many investigation files throughout the country in which the accused acted in the same way. After exhausting the investigative actions in his case, the indictment was filed against him which included many cases of fraud. We will continue to act and fight the fraudulent criminals who harm the property of the public, business owners and innocent citizens. Along with this, we are again warning the public – that extra caution should be taken and avoid giving credit and personal details to unidentified parties.

A recording of a conversation between the accused and one of the business owners who was defrauded

Inspector Yevgeni Braverman, investigation officer in the fraud unit of the Jerusalem district. Photo: Police Spokesperson