Woman Indicted for Elaborate Scams Using Dating Apps and Stolen Information

A 31-year-old woman from Netanya, Margot Jessie Sitbon, faces 15 charges including fraud, forgery, and theft, according to an indictment filed in the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court. Prosecutors allege that Sitbon met men through dating apps, and during visits to their homes, she stole checkbooks, credit cards, and personal documents.

These stolen items were allegedly used to purchase jewelry and other goods from various sellers. The indictment details a pattern of deception where Sitbon used different names, phone numbers, and forged bank transfer confirmations when dealing with private sellers on Facebook, with the funds never actually being transferred. In some instances, she presented stolen checks as those of her "husband."

One described incident involved Sitbon asking a man she met on Tinder to allow her to bathe his children at his apartment, claiming her electricity was out. While he was in the garden, she allegedly took his checkbook. She then used these checks to buy gold necklaces, forging his signature and presenting a fake ID of his as her husband.

Another case involved Sitbon taking a man's brother's checkbook from his apartment after he went to buy her cigarettes. Two months later, these checks were used in a transaction for a gold necklace worth NIS 14,000. The seller became suspicious when the buyer's son contacted the checkbook owner, who was living abroad and unaware of the transaction, leading to the necklace's return.

The indictment also outlines other alleged scams, including using stolen credit cards for purchases totaling over NIS 2,000, obtaining a car by presenting a fake bank transfer, and attempting to rent an apartment with a forged payment confirmation. Sitbon has been in custody since August 23, and prosecutors have indicated they may seek a prison sentence if she is convicted.