Taxi Driver Arrested for Allegedly Defrauding Dementia Patient of Tens of Thousands of Shekels

A 56-year-old taxi driver from Rehovot was arrested on suspicion of stealing tens of thousands of shekels from a 75-year-old dementia patient. The elderly man, who lives in Petah Tikva, had taken the taxi from a medical facility in central Tel Aviv, requesting a ride home. During the trip, the patient asked the driver to buy him a pack of cigarettes and handed over his credit card.

According to police, the driver took the card and disappeared for about two hours while the patient waited in the taxi. During this time, the driver allegedly made purchases totaling tens of thousands of shekels, including mobile phones, headphones, whiskey, and other alcoholic products. When the credit card limit was reached, the driver drove the patient to Tel Aviv Port instead of his home and left him there alone.

Following a complaint filed at the Lev Tel Aviv police station, detectives launched a covert operation to locate the suspect and gather evidence. A court issued an arrest warrant for the driver on charges of theft and fraud. Police suspect this may be a systematic pattern of behavior and are investigating whether there are additional victims.