Woman in her 20s arrested on suspicion of impersonating a man to engage in relationships with women

Five women claim that a young woman in her 20s impersonated a man and maintained, at different times, romantic and sexual relationships with them, mainly over the phone and online. Four of them turned to the police, and during the investigation, another complainant was located. Today, Sunday, the suspect was arrested at her apartment in Petah Tikva, and digital devices were seized during a search. Tomorrow, the police will request to extend her detention and allow the publication of her name in order to locate additional victims.

"We were in a romantic and personal relationship for months, until I discovered that it was a woman."

This statement, made by one of the complainants, is at the center of an unusual investigation being conducted in recent weeks at the Petah Tikva police station. The suspect is accused of having presented herself to women as a man for years and maintaining romantic and sexual relationships with them.

The investigation began on July 26, after four women reported a similar pattern. According to the suspicion, each of them was in a relationship with the suspect over a long period, while being convinced that the person on the other side was a man.

The relationships were conducted mainly through phone calls and online. Throughout the period of the relationship, the complainants believed they were involved with a man, until it became clear to them that the identity presented was false.

During the investigation, detectives located another woman who was allegedly harmed by the same modus operandi, bringing the total number of known victims to five.

Today, the investigation moved to an open phase. Police officers arrested the suspect at her home in Petah Tikva. During the search, laptops, a mobile phone, and several digital storage devices were seized for forensic examination.

Authorities are now seeking to determine if these five women are the only victims. Tomorrow, the suspect is expected to be brought to court, where the police will request to extend her detention. Simultaneously, investigators intend to request permission to publish her name, aiming to enable other potential victims to come forward.

The police stated that they call on the public to be vigilant when establishing relationships online and confirmed they will continue to act to uncover crimes involving impersonation.