Israeli police arrested five suspects Sunday in connection with an alleged large-scale fraud operation that investigators say targeted elderly victims, banks, credit card companies, and communication providers in a scheme estimated at roughly 10 million shekels.
The arrests were carried out in a joint operation involving the Tel Aviv District Fraud Unit together with Border Police forces operating in the Tel Aviv area. According to investigators, the suspects are believed to have committed serious fraud offenses, conspiracy, identity theft, burglary, and forgery on a massive scale.
Police say the investigation, which had been conducted covertly for several months, uncovered an elaborate operation focused primarily on vulnerable elderly individuals — including both living victims and deceased individuals whose identities were allegedly exploited by the suspects.
According to the allegations, members of the network broke into victims’ homes, impersonated them, and carried out financial transactions in their names, at times using the personal information of people who had already passed away.
The case reportedly began after complaints were filed by relatives of the victims as well as representatives of banks and credit card companies. Investigators gathered evidence from multiple incidents across the country, eventually connecting the separate cases and identifying the alleged members of the operation.
After the investigation moved into its overt phase, police raided homes in Hadera and Ashdod early Sunday morning. During the operation, officers conducted searches and detained five suspects for questioning, including two men in their 50s, two suspects in their 30s, and a 15-year-old minor.
All of the suspects were transferred for interrogation, and police said they are expected to be brought Monday before the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court for hearings on extending their detention as the investigation continues.
{Matzav.com}
