Fake documents, accurate information: a sophisticated fraud may be hiding behind the call from the "municipality"
In recent months, complaints about a sophisticated scam have been increasing: citizens waiting for building permits receive calls from "municipality representatives" who present accurate information about their files and demand final payments. The scam, which has already stolen tens of thousands of shekels from private individuals and millions from developers, is becoming increasingly sophisticated.
Impersonating municipal officials, demands for betterment levies and fees that appear genuine, and the theft of tens of thousands of shekels from citizens or millions from contractors — this is the new scam method keeping those in the midst of construction processes awake at night.
In recent months, numerous complaints have been filed with the police regarding the forgery of payment requests and permit applications. In some cases, victims transferred huge sums of money to individuals impersonating official representatives. Police warn that due to the sophistication of these forgeries, many victims fall for the scam.
Scammed out of tens of thousands of shekels, the complaint was closed
A. and B. (full names withheld), two high-tech workers, are among these victims. The couple has been trying to obtain a permit to build their home in Kfar Saba for three years. Last week, while A. was on reserve duty, B. received a call from a woman named "Marcel," who introduced herself as a representative of the Kfar Saba Municipality and informed her that the wait for the permit was over.
Marcel knew many identifying details about the couple, including the fact that they had already paid a betterment levy. According to her, they only had two final payments left: 23,701 shekels to the water utility and 46,667 shekels for building fees. In total: 70,368 shekels.
After the call, Marcel sent B. a payment voucher that appeared official, including the slogan "Kfar Saba, there is only one!". The couple transferred the requested amount from their account at Bank Mercantile to accounts at Bank Hapoalim and Bank Leumi on behalf of the "Kfar Saba Municipality" and received an invoice with an allocation number.
However, it quickly became clear that the payment was not transferred to the municipality. When the couple contacted the municipality, it turned out there was no employee named Marcel, and the payment was not requested by the municipality. The couple filed a complaint with the police, providing all information, including account numbers and the phone number used by "Marcel," but were surprised to receive a notice that the complaint had been closed.
"This is not an isolated case, there is systemic neglect"
Abir Kara, a former Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, who is assisting the couple, states: "We are in a state of national emergency. The couple filed a complaint, and the Israel Police decided to close the case shortly after. The possibility that information came from the Kfar Saba Municipality was not investigated, and the bank accounts to which more than 70,000 shekels were transferred were not checked. Part of the money was returned by Bank Hapoalim, but Bank Leumi requires a court order to act."
Kara criticizes the police, calling for the establishment of a national authority to fight fraud that could connect police, banks, and local authorities in real-time to freeze funds.
The Israel Police stated in response that they act according to the circumstances of the case and available resources. Every citizen has the right to file an appeal against a decision to close a case, which will be examined accordingly.
The company saw a fake permit and paid 3.8 million shekels
Another case involves the company "Migdal Top Nadlan," which filed a lawsuit against Bank Leumi, asking the court to order the bank to provide identification details of an account to which it transferred 3.8 million shekels. The company was building a project in Tel Aviv and received fake fee vouchers and a building permit bearing the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality logo and fake digital signatures.
Staff Sergeant Raya Broverman, an investigator from the Fraud Division of the Israel Police, confirms: "This scam method has been increasing. Criminals know everything about their victims: how many fees they have paid and at what stage their proceedings are. They even read them their ID numbers."
