Reward exceeds 100,000 shekels: Who knows the suspect in the scam?
Social media personality Evgeny Zarubinsky has initiated a 70,000 shekel reward for information leading to the arrest of a man who scammed an 80-year-old widow from Rehovot by posing as a National Insurance Institute official. The victim lost 20,000 shekels and her jewelry. Following reports of similar incidents from other users, the reward has grown to over 100,000 shekels with contributions from various public figures and business leaders.
The cash reward for information leading to the capture of the suspect has exceeded 100,000 shekels. On Monday, Evgeny Zarubinsky announced a 70,000 shekel reward for anyone providing details about the man filmed after scamming an 80-year-old widow from Rehovot, as well as for any significant information leading to his arrest.
Zarubinsky shared a post by Orit Kravchik, who described how her mother-in-law was deceived into believing she was speaking with her son and a representative of the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi) simultaneously. The victim handed over 20,000 shekels in cash and all her jewelry. Despite a police complaint and available video evidence, the investigation has stalled.
The author of the post noted:
"This is my mother-in-law who was robbed. Unfortunately, this appears to be a Russian network, possibly operating from abroad, with local field operatives. We have documentation but no arrests. We filed the complaint digitally, and the police have not contacted us since, even though we have interesting details. A few days later, we received a satisfaction survey from the police, followed by a reminder to fill it out—how else will they improve?"
Another user commented on the viral post: "This is the guy who scammed my grandmother! 60,000 in cash!"
Many commenters joined the effort to increase the reward. Partner CEO Avi Gabai added 10,000 shekels, and the PUSH page contributed another 10,000. Other contributors include Deputy Chairman of the Bar Association Adir Zvi, former Finance Ministry chief of staff Adv. Amir Schneider, businessman Tomer Levinsky, internet personality Aviv Reuven, and many others.
