Russian Scam Ring Exploits Elderly Israelis, Stealing Millions

A sophisticated "Russian scam" operation targeting elderly Israelis, primarily Russian speakers, has been exposed, with victims losing hundreds of thousands, and in some cases millions, of shekels in cash and jewelry. The scam involves fraudsters impersonating officials, often from the National Insurance Institute, and then pretending to connect with a family member of the victim to build trust. Finally, a seemingly innocent courier arrives to collect the valuables.

One victim's grandson, Elder Lev, recounted how his grandmother handed over 26,000 shekels and $2,000 in cash, stating, "The money probably won't come back." He added that his grandmother's local police investigator noted such scams occur three to four times daily in her city alone.

Another victim's daughter, Karin Magen, shared that her mother received a call from someone claiming to be from the National Insurance Institute, speaking Russian. The caller offered a new service to collect all gold from the home, have it appraised at a bank, and provide coverage in case of disaster. Following this, a courier collected the gold.

Ashdod police recently arrested a 72-year-old man, Mark Ben Avraham Navler, identified as a courier for the ring. During his investigation, Navler claimed he was merely collecting money for a fee and did not cooperate further to reveal other members of the network. Sergeant Major Pavel Britva of the Ashdod station described the perpetrators as exploiting the innocence of the elderly, causing them to hand over their money and gold to criminals.

Victims' families are urging others to warn their elderly relatives about these scams, emphasizing the need for constant vigilance even with those perceived as sharp and aware.