Man Charged with Multi-Vehicle Fraud Using Fake Bank Transfers

A 23-year-old man from Beersheba has been indicted for allegedly defrauding two car owners in northern Israel of hundreds of thousands of shekels by using fake bank transfer confirmations. The indictment, filed by the Emekim District Police Prosecution Office, will be heard at the Nazareth Magistrate's Court.

According to police investigator Sergeant Major Liel Kadosh Amram, the first complaint was received on August 23 from an Afula resident who advertised his Skoda Superb for sale on Facebook. The accused contacted the seller, met him in Afula, expressed interest in the car, and agreed on a price. After completing the ownership transfer, the accused presented a forged bank confirmation of the payment. The seller discovered the money had not arrived the following day and, after several days of unfulfilled promises from the accused to resolve the issue, filed a police report.

Three days later, a similar complaint was filed concerning a Hyundai Tucson valued at 130,000 shekels. The accused again met the seller, completed the ownership transfer, and provided a fake bank transfer confirmation. Hours later, the car's owner received an alert that the vehicle was located near Afula. Suspicious, especially after the buyer claimed to be from central Israel and heading there, the owner checked his bank account and found no deposit. He realized he had been scammed and reported it.

The accused was arrested shortly after the second report at the Ta'anim checkpoint, and the Hyundai Tucson was recovered and impounded. The indictment charges the suspect with obtaining property by deception, forgery, and car theft. The suspect's attorney, Nadav Grinwald, stated that his client is a normal citizen who denies all charges and is expected to be released.