Online Scam in Israel Selling Toxic Fake Olive Oil Targets Hundreds
Hundreds of Israelis have fallen victim to an online scam involving counterfeit olive oil sold via social media. Fraudsters deliver containers laced with toxic industrial chemicals after offering genuine samples.
Hundreds of Israelis have fallen victim in recent months to a sophisticated online scam involving the sale of counterfeit olive oil through social media platforms. Operating under shifting names such as "Shoresh Hazait" and falsely claiming to originate from Moshav Avivim in northern Israel, fraudsters offer 18-liter containers of olive oil for 550 NIS, including home delivery. However, buyers soon discover they have paid hundreds of shekels for unidentified toxic chemicals, while the scammers instantly block them and vanish.
The elaborate deception typically begins with a Facebook advertisement promising premium olive oil and home delivery. Victims report that delivery personnel arrive with containers, offering a sample of genuine olive oil from a small plastic cup ingeniously glued directly beneath the pouring spout. Once the sample is consumed and the purchase is completed, buyers later discover that the remainder of the container is filled with a dark, foul-smelling industrial liquid resembling machine oil.
Victims who attempt to voice complaints on social media find their comments swiftly deleted and their profiles blocked by the operators, who continuously open new pages to sustain the fraud. Several victims have filed official reports with the Israel Police, though many cases have been closed due to insufficient evidence. In response to the widespread inaction by authorities, defrauded citizens have launched collaborative documentation projects and reported the criminal network to consumer protection bodies and the Ministry of Health, while warning the public against the dangerous health hazards posed by the toxic substances.
