Toronto – Police are warning the public to watch out for a con man targeting members of the Jewish community.
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Two women have reported being befriended by a man, who earned their trust by talking about Israel and Judaism.
Once the women became friends with him, he told them he needed a loan and said he would repay them through wire transfers.
The women gave the man cash but were never repaid.
Police believe there may be more victims, and are warning the public, especially members of the Jewish community, to be on the lookout.
The suspect is described as 45-50 years old, 5-foot-5, clean-shaven with glasses and an Israeli accent.
This scam is as old as Yeziat Mitrayim… cannot believe people still fall for it.
Yes, this scam has been going on for years. A few years ago I was in Manhattan and was approached by a typical frum looking buchur. He explained he was visiting from canada and on the way back to the airport, he starting experiencing low blood sugar. He asked the cabbi to stop at a deli so he could run in and grab some juice. While he was in the store, the cabbi drove off with all his bags, money, wallet, etc. All he needed was $38 to get a taxi ride to JFK. I was hesitant so he told me I could call his Rabbi back home who could vouch for him. He pulled out a piece of paper that appeared to have been ripped out of the white pages with a Rabbis name circled. I guess this scammer did not expect me to call his bluff because as I got my phone to call, he jumped up and ran. This “rabbi” on the phone told me he had gotten around 30 calls over the past 3 days about this. He does not know this young man and has never even been to Canada.
Wow. How sad that people would take advantage of their own community like that! I’ve heard of people scamming Holocaust survivors in much the same way! Who could do such a thing?!
Those poor women were thinking they were only helping out their homeland…I bet their husbands are probably furious w\them for falling for the trap. I hope not. They had good intentions, and its not their fault they were taken advantage of.
Fortunately for us, HaShem sees everything, and while the perps may have gotten away w\these women’s money so far… they won’t get away with what they’ve done forever, now will they? Not to mention, if they ever want to make Repentance one day…. how will they manage to pay back all of the people they robbed from?!
Everyone will get what’s coming to them in the end! Make no mistake about it!