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.
Suspect said to have made contact with hundreds of soldiers, family members
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.
When the suspect was arrested, his detention was extended according to the needs of the investigation. It has since emerged that the suspect has allegedly made contact with hundreds of soldiers and their family members.