Showing posts with label scam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scam. Show all posts
Jul 2, 2023
Halacha Headlines: 7/1/23 – Shiur 425 – HOT DEAL OR HOT AIR – Ponzi Schemes Proliferating – The Halachic, legal, and monetary ramifiactions (audio)
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Jan 11, 2023
the fraudulent phone borrowers save us
There was a theoretically great scam stopped by the cops.
You know how, here in Israel at least, it is pretty common where you are in a shop or walking down the street or waiting for the bus and someone comes over and asks to use your phone to make a call. It is super common with kids needing to make a call but often happens with adults or young adults as well - maybe some people dont carry phones or maybe a phone battery drained, but it happens often enough. As long as I am not in a rush or out of sorts in some way, I will almost always let them use my phone. I think most people do. And if it is a kid, I will just about always allow it unless there are extenuating circumstances. .
So, Kikar reports that an avreich in Bnei Braq was standing outside a wedding hall when a young man (unfamiliar to him) approached asking if he could use his phone for a short call. The magnanimous avreich handed over his phone, as I think most people would do, and the fellow made his call.
A few days later the avreich gets called in to the police station and discovers he is being investigated and questioned due to a complaint of harassment.
It turns out that this young fellow wanted to threaten someone and knowing he would be easily tracked had he used his own phone decided he would borrow someone else's phone to make his threatening phone call and thereby stay anonymous while framing someone else.
Somehow during the questioning the avreich figured out what happened, that it was the phone call he had lent his phone for and eventually convinced the police that he was telling the truth. The police let him go but because he didnt know the person he had lent the phone to, so they were up a creek though they eventually figured out who the caller was and brought him in (they eventually decided the harassment was not important,. low level stuff and will likely close the case. it was over a fight between two different hassidic groups)
As it says, the fake tzedaka collectors save us for not giving enough tzedaka out of concern the petitioner might be a fraud, so these phone scammers save us from not lending out our phones to people who need to make a call... though I guess this is not overly common so probably wont yet affect anything.
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Dec 28, 2022
The great Milki scam of 2022
I fell for what might be the biggest scam ever. If you are thinking Madoff level scams, think bigger.
That would be the Milki scam.
I had heard of this new flavor of Milki, but hadn't seen it around in the various stores I shop in. Recently I saw it in the shop and decided to by to try.
Background: Milki is a delightful Israeli pudding type thing that claasicly has chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream. In recent years they have expanded the line to include a variety of flavors like strawberry, vanilla, blondie, Pesek Zman and Mousse, double chocolate, double cream puddings with cream on top. They also have other things like puddings topped with those different types of candy balls and whatnot and probably some other flavors I am not aware of.
They now have this new flavor, pictured above, which is purely a cup of whipped cream with these chocolatey puffed rice balls to throw in for some flavorful crunch.
I didnt take out a subscription to this, so I didnt fully fall for this scam, but even a one time buy to try is falling for the scam. It would have been much cheaper to buy a can of whipped cream and spray it directly into my mouth. A can of Rich's whipped cream is also better tasting than this, though this was fine. It was fine, but not worth the 3.9nis it cost.
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Nov 15, 2018
it is assur to steal from the government
People are people. No matter how religious or moral a person might be, he or she is tempted by various temptations. Some are able to overcome the temptations and do the right thing, at least most of the time, while others fail - sometimes more and sometimes less. People are not immune and communities are not immune from having such people within them.
In recent years, unfortunately not infrequently enough, people scamming either the government or other people even from within their own community have been exposed, caught and even convicted, in the Haredi community.
I don't know that it happens more in the Haredi community than in any other community - it probably does not - but with a community like the Haredi community that has the fear of God and adherence to Torah and mitzvos as its daily ideals and lifestyle, one might expect better, and it is perhaps a bit more shocking and upsetting when it happens.
One of the interesting phenomenon in these instances is the point where the action gets justified for religious reasons, or even turned into an ideal on its own. Even the gemara says that after you do something wrong a few times it becomes considered as a mitzva. It is definitely just a sense of justification as a way of convincing yourself, and maybe others, that you aren't doing anything wrong.
To that end, Kikar is reporting that someone has anonymously written a booklet, a kuntress, dealing with this very issue. The kuntress goes into halachic detail, even quoting the great rabbis of recent generations such as Rav Elyashiv, Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Ovadia Yosef and others, explaining why one is not allowed to cheat the government.
This anonymous author has been distributing his booklet around shuls in Haredi communities in Jerusalem, Bet Shemesh and elsewhere.
I don't know if such a kuntress will have any effect on anything. People generally know it is not allowed. They know they are doing something wrong but find ways to justify it. Perhaps it will convince some, and if it does it will have been worth it.
I don't know why it needs to be anonymous. Will anybody stand up and protest saying it is definitely allowed to steal from the government or that one can scam his own neighbors out of their money? I am not sure what such an author is worried about that he feels he needs to remain anonymous.
In recent years, unfortunately not infrequently enough, people scamming either the government or other people even from within their own community have been exposed, caught and even convicted, in the Haredi community.
I don't know that it happens more in the Haredi community than in any other community - it probably does not - but with a community like the Haredi community that has the fear of God and adherence to Torah and mitzvos as its daily ideals and lifestyle, one might expect better, and it is perhaps a bit more shocking and upsetting when it happens.
One of the interesting phenomenon in these instances is the point where the action gets justified for religious reasons, or even turned into an ideal on its own. Even the gemara says that after you do something wrong a few times it becomes considered as a mitzva. It is definitely just a sense of justification as a way of convincing yourself, and maybe others, that you aren't doing anything wrong.
To that end, Kikar is reporting that someone has anonymously written a booklet, a kuntress, dealing with this very issue. The kuntress goes into halachic detail, even quoting the great rabbis of recent generations such as Rav Elyashiv, Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Ovadia Yosef and others, explaining why one is not allowed to cheat the government.
This anonymous author has been distributing his booklet around shuls in Haredi communities in Jerusalem, Bet Shemesh and elsewhere.
I don't know if such a kuntress will have any effect on anything. People generally know it is not allowed. They know they are doing something wrong but find ways to justify it. Perhaps it will convince some, and if it does it will have been worth it.
I don't know why it needs to be anonymous. Will anybody stand up and protest saying it is definitely allowed to steal from the government or that one can scam his own neighbors out of their money? I am not sure what such an author is worried about that he feels he needs to remain anonymous.
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Dec 19, 2012
Nigerian Scam Comes To The Kotel
Interesting story being reported on Kikar.
A hassidic fellow, described as being from a hassidut that normally does not visit the kotel, was at the kotel and found an envelope full of money. The envelope contained checks totaling 1.9 billion dollars! That's $1,919,000,000!
The fellow found the envelope containing 507 checks, originating form many different countries. He immediately left the Kotel with the envelope. the next day he went to a lawyer to figure out what to do. They discerned that it most likely belonged to a Christian, and somehow they determined that the checks were somehow obtained via the Nigerian banker scam..
They brought the checks to the police, who opened a file under the fraud division, and later transferred it to the lost and found division.
A hassidic fellow, described as being from a hassidut that normally does not visit the kotel, was at the kotel and found an envelope full of money. The envelope contained checks totaling 1.9 billion dollars! That's $1,919,000,000!
The fellow found the envelope containing 507 checks, originating form many different countries. He immediately left the Kotel with the envelope. the next day he went to a lawyer to figure out what to do. They discerned that it most likely belonged to a Christian, and somehow they determined that the checks were somehow obtained via the Nigerian banker scam..
They brought the checks to the police, who opened a file under the fraud division, and later transferred it to the lost and found division.
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Feb 1, 2011
Four Kollels Disqualified From Funding
After the recent discovery of a massive level of kollel fraud, with a few certain kollels registering non-existent people, along with forging identity cards of people not registered and registering them, and collecting money for those people, many kollels were concerned about threats of ramped up levels of investigation and inspection.
Since then the Ministry of Education has been sending letters to kollels and informing them of the rules, and that they are subject to inspection at any time. Bechadrei reported that recently inspectors went to Bet Shemesh to check out a bunch of kollels. By the end of the series of inspections, four kollels had been punished and removed from the books, no longer to receive funding from the ministry, due to too many registered avreichim not being present.
One of the avreichim is quoted as having responded to the news by saying "this is a further escalation. Today we suffered a serious blow. The Rosh Kollel never imagined that the inspection would come so quickly - he only received the letter two days ago."
Wow - they were only given two days notice that they have to show up to kollel... how unfair..
To his credit, the head of the division of MoE carrying out the inspections said that it is clear that it is a very small minority [of kollels] that are staining the name of all the good lomdei torah, and the overwhelming majority of lomdim and kollels are not connected at all to this type of situation in any way.
Since then the Ministry of Education has been sending letters to kollels and informing them of the rules, and that they are subject to inspection at any time. Bechadrei reported that recently inspectors went to Bet Shemesh to check out a bunch of kollels. By the end of the series of inspections, four kollels had been punished and removed from the books, no longer to receive funding from the ministry, due to too many registered avreichim not being present.
One of the avreichim is quoted as having responded to the news by saying "this is a further escalation. Today we suffered a serious blow. The Rosh Kollel never imagined that the inspection would come so quickly - he only received the letter two days ago."
Wow - they were only given two days notice that they have to show up to kollel... how unfair..
To his credit, the head of the division of MoE carrying out the inspections said that it is clear that it is a very small minority [of kollels] that are staining the name of all the good lomdei torah, and the overwhelming majority of lomdim and kollels are not connected at all to this type of situation in any way.
Dec 12, 2010
Giving Heidi And Mendy The Benefit Of the Doubt
Last week we were all witness to a public display, initially on tv to millions of viewers (I could not find, with just a quick search, specific numbers of how many people watch any given episode of The People's Court, but they are supposedly one of the top rated shows in their time slot in a number of categories), and then on YouTube to thousands of viewers as the video was spread among the Jewish community via email, blogs, twitter, bulletin boards and other forums, to an episode of a frum couple suing a laundromat for $3000 for having damaged a wig that inadvertently got into their bag of laundry. The episode started off benignly enough, each side making good arguments with little proof, but then turned ugly near the end as the "judge" uncovered what looked like a scam and ruled against the frum couple.
Because I posted the video and condemnation originally, so I am posting this now. I tried originally to think how to be dan this couple l'kaf zchus, but could not find a way. Everything they did pointed to a stupid scam that was uncovered at the last minute. Since then I have thought about it and come up with some alternate possibilities.
But first, Vos Iz Neias sent out Rabbi Yair Hoffman to try to track down the couple and speak to them, getting their side of the story.
Here is what Rabbi Hoffman has to say:
Personally, I find his explanation a bit of a stretch, but since it is sort of plausible, they do deserve the benefit of the doubt.
However, I think they do not deserve an apology because regardless of right or wrong they made a tremendous chilul hashem.
They were stupid for trying to resolve this on television. Television shows live and die by the drama, and the Heidi and Mendy couple should have known that they were picked for tv courtroom not because of their beautiful hair (both real and not real) but because their lawsuit had the potential for good daytime tv drama. That meant they could not, should not, be expecting a simple slam dunk case, even if they really felt they were 100% correct, and not pulling a scam.
Whether or not Rabbi Hoffman is correct in his explanation I don't know, but their going on tv to talk about religious Jews spending $3000 on sheitels seems to me to be, in and of itself, a chilul hashem making Jews look pretty pathetic to anyone watching.
Then you get to the arguments and see that they presented absolutely no proof to anything they said, and you wonder what they were building their case on. They talked about a ruined wig worth $3000, but showed no proof that this was the wig. They went to professional to evaluate the damage, but did not get any statements from any of the three they visited. blah blah blah. Watch the video and see they showed no proof of anything they claimed. So I dont know how they expected to win, except based on logic.
The only real alternate explanation I can believe is that this is a tv show and they distorted the case and what actually happened, for the purpose of getting the best drama for ratings purposes. That would be similar to what the mother of a Modern Orthodox model recently claimed about how her daughter had been portrayed on tv with her words being edited and twisted, for the benefit of the television show, and they showed her in a bad light. I can believe that here too something in the show was distorted and edited to create the drama.
So there is room to give them the benefit of the doubt, whether for my simple reason or for Rabbi Hoffmans more detailed investigation, even though they looked lousy on television.
They should still apologize to the Jewish community for making it look stupid, superficial and glitzy (really? $3000 wigs?) and putting themselves in the position to be caught, even if not true, in a scam the way they were.
UPDATE: R' Hoffman from VIN has interviewed Georgie about the incident:
Because I posted the video and condemnation originally, so I am posting this now. I tried originally to think how to be dan this couple l'kaf zchus, but could not find a way. Everything they did pointed to a stupid scam that was uncovered at the last minute. Since then I have thought about it and come up with some alternate possibilities.
But first, Vos Iz Neias sent out Rabbi Yair Hoffman to try to track down the couple and speak to them, getting their side of the story.
Here is what Rabbi Hoffman has to say:
They are known as Mendy and Heidi. And they are a couple that is under some pretty intense scrutiny about a televised court-case involving a wig that was washed at a laundromat. Up until now there has only been one side of the story told.
The majority of people who have seen the case on You-tube have concluded that they are woefully guilty. Halachically, there is an obligation called being “Dan leKaf z’chus” – judging someone favorably until they are proven to be guilty. It is similar to a concept that has made this country great – the idea of “innocent until proven guilty.”
Many people, even those that ostensibly observe Torah law, fail in this critical area. I know that I did. And I feel pretty guilty about it. When I first observed the video I quickly concluded that this couple – Mendi and Heidi were guilty of:
a] pulling some sort of shtick and
b] at the heart of perhaps the greatest Chillul Hashem in 60 years of television history.
c] rather stupidly appearing on court TV
After having spoken to the couple tonight (arranged by VIN News) at length, and after having spoken to the wigmaker, and after having reviewed emails and communications from both Georgie companies – there is not even a question that not only has this couple not been proven guilty of trying to perpetrate a fraud, but the overwhelming evidence from my perception is that they have been completely railroaded.
Is it possible that five parties involved are perpetrating an elaborate charade to make this couple look innocent? Anything is possible – but in my estimation, it is extremely remote. The matter is being investigated further and videotaped, later on this evening, and will be broadcasted as soon as it is feasible. In the meantime, here is their side of the story.
1] The wig that was ruined was not, repeat not a short wig. It is a long wig. If you look carefully at the wig on the Youtube video – you will see that it is a long wig. It looks like a short wig, but it is not.
2] The main impetus of the judge was that this wig she was examining looked like a short wig.
3] The judge never asked if there were two receipts, the first for the ruined one and the second for the one Heidi was wearing. The wigmaker told this author that she charged $3000 in total including highlighting, streaking and cutting (still long though) for the first wig. She charged $1500 for the second wig she was wearing which she gave them AT COST because she felt terrible for them.
4] The judge made phone calls to both Georgie companies. She ascertained from company #1 that Heidi did purchase a wig. She spoke to a woman that worked for company #1 named Sylvia. The office was closed and the phone number was forwarded to her cell phone. The judge asked whether what was sold to Heidi was a short wig or long wig. Sylvia answered a long wig. The judge asked for the receipt number. Sylvia answered that the office was closed.
5] The judge then called the other Georgie company (there was a divorce involved here). The other company said that they do not manufacture that type of wig. An email from company #2 is in file with VIN News.
This author’s preliminary conclusions are:
1] The judge clearly confused both companies thinking they are one. Hopefully this was not done maliciously, but was just sloppy work by the judge.
2] The judge, like I did initially, assumed the damaged wig was a short wig. It is not.
3] The couple, actually it was just the husband, made a very silly decision to appear on court TV. He thought that this was the better way to go because at least this way if there was any money awarded it would not come from the landromat but from the court TV. He had to cajole and convince his wife to appear.
4] Neither the husband nor the wife are the best communicators, and neither of them should be hired as press spokespeople.
In short, a grave mistake was made here by the entire Torah community that lashed out at this couple. These are the preliminary conclusions. As mentioned earlier, the matter is being further investigated and all the evidence is being examined. I personally would like to issue an apology to them.
As just an aside, the woman had donated her previous shaitels to a Tzedaka in Eretz Yisroel.
Personally, I find his explanation a bit of a stretch, but since it is sort of plausible, they do deserve the benefit of the doubt.
However, I think they do not deserve an apology because regardless of right or wrong they made a tremendous chilul hashem.
They were stupid for trying to resolve this on television. Television shows live and die by the drama, and the Heidi and Mendy couple should have known that they were picked for tv courtroom not because of their beautiful hair (both real and not real) but because their lawsuit had the potential for good daytime tv drama. That meant they could not, should not, be expecting a simple slam dunk case, even if they really felt they were 100% correct, and not pulling a scam.
Whether or not Rabbi Hoffman is correct in his explanation I don't know, but their going on tv to talk about religious Jews spending $3000 on sheitels seems to me to be, in and of itself, a chilul hashem making Jews look pretty pathetic to anyone watching.
Then you get to the arguments and see that they presented absolutely no proof to anything they said, and you wonder what they were building their case on. They talked about a ruined wig worth $3000, but showed no proof that this was the wig. They went to professional to evaluate the damage, but did not get any statements from any of the three they visited. blah blah blah. Watch the video and see they showed no proof of anything they claimed. So I dont know how they expected to win, except based on logic.
The only real alternate explanation I can believe is that this is a tv show and they distorted the case and what actually happened, for the purpose of getting the best drama for ratings purposes. That would be similar to what the mother of a Modern Orthodox model recently claimed about how her daughter had been portrayed on tv with her words being edited and twisted, for the benefit of the television show, and they showed her in a bad light. I can believe that here too something in the show was distorted and edited to create the drama.
So there is room to give them the benefit of the doubt, whether for my simple reason or for Rabbi Hoffmans more detailed investigation, even though they looked lousy on television.
They should still apologize to the Jewish community for making it look stupid, superficial and glitzy (really? $3000 wigs?) and putting themselves in the position to be caught, even if not true, in a scam the way they were.
UPDATE: R' Hoffman from VIN has interviewed Georgie about the incident:
Dec 7, 2010
The Sheitel Scandal (video)
This is a knockout video from the TV show, The People's Court. I remember watching The People's Court on afternoon television when I was a young teenager...
I never knew, and always wondered, if this is just a show with actors and made up court cases, or if they actually are taking real cases and televising some sort of legal court procedure, even if ti does not look at all similar to how I picture a real court case (also based on perceptions from reading books and watching movies and tv shows).
Watch the clip. It is hilarious, and shocking. Watch it to the end - the end is nothing like what I could have ever predicted would happen.
Wow! What a clip!
If The People's Court is all just an act and a show, then they are idiots for being willing to make a show out of such a scam and a chilul hashem. Especially when many people might believe it to be true.
And if it is true, and if The People's Court cases are real, albeit adjusted for television, that is horrible. I love how they blame the Hispanic lady for not speaking English, and that being the cause of the misunderstanding, while she can hardly get two words in a row of decent English out of her mouth.
But then to take such a scam to nationally televised show? Did they really think the courts would issue a ruling without doing any leg work? And they bothered to go to three professionals for opinions but did not ask any to make a professional evaluation with a statement for the court case? Really? They come off like idiots, until the end where they come off like common scam artists.
And their response The Georgie is out of town and the judge could not have spoken to her - did they never hear of cellphones? Did they never hear of other people who work in the office who could have given the judge the information? Maybe Georgie is a one-woman operation, but I find it unlikely that she has no office help. Though I was impressed that they are up to date with Georgie's travel schedule - I wonder why that is...
I really hope the truth is with option #1 and The Peoples Court is not real. Then at least these people are simply jerks. Option #2 is much worse.
I never knew, and always wondered, if this is just a show with actors and made up court cases, or if they actually are taking real cases and televising some sort of legal court procedure, even if ti does not look at all similar to how I picture a real court case (also based on perceptions from reading books and watching movies and tv shows).
Watch the clip. It is hilarious, and shocking. Watch it to the end - the end is nothing like what I could have ever predicted would happen.
Wow! What a clip!
If The People's Court is all just an act and a show, then they are idiots for being willing to make a show out of such a scam and a chilul hashem. Especially when many people might believe it to be true.
And if it is true, and if The People's Court cases are real, albeit adjusted for television, that is horrible. I love how they blame the Hispanic lady for not speaking English, and that being the cause of the misunderstanding, while she can hardly get two words in a row of decent English out of her mouth.
But then to take such a scam to nationally televised show? Did they really think the courts would issue a ruling without doing any leg work? And they bothered to go to three professionals for opinions but did not ask any to make a professional evaluation with a statement for the court case? Really? They come off like idiots, until the end where they come off like common scam artists.
And their response The Georgie is out of town and the judge could not have spoken to her - did they never hear of cellphones? Did they never hear of other people who work in the office who could have given the judge the information? Maybe Georgie is a one-woman operation, but I find it unlikely that she has no office help. Though I was impressed that they are up to date with Georgie's travel schedule - I wonder why that is...
I really hope the truth is with option #1 and The Peoples Court is not real. Then at least these people are simply jerks. Option #2 is much worse.
Mar 7, 2010
trusting someone just based on appearance
Bechadrei is reporting on a scam that happened in Yerushalayim on Purim and is looking for other people that might have fallen prey to this guy.
The report is of a guy dressed impeccably fine with an impressive shtreimel adorning his head. This avreich who sometimes needs to collect money to help himself get by bumps into this impressive looking fellow. After saying hello, he realizes this fellow in the shtreimel is from America and he thinks that perhaps he can ask him for a donation on Purim.
After explaining his financial situation to the American fellow, he asked if he would be able to help him with some tzedaka.
The fellow responded that he has $1600 for the purpose of tzedaka that he brought with him from America. The only thing is, he says, is that he finds himself in an uncomfortable situation. he just landed and finds himself with no cash. He needs to borrow some money - and the number kept rising during the conversation to a final total of $800 - and then will soon pay back the loan plus he will give him the full $1600 donation in addition to the loan repayment.
The avreich felt confident enough in this impressive looking fellow, with the enticement of the $1600 donation, that he agreed to lend him the money.
To be brief, he never heard from the guy again and could not locate him with the little contact information he had.
Lesson learned? Doubtful. Perhaps by this individual, but not by people in general in the Haredi community. The community is far too trusting of anybody who looks Haredi. This is how those poor kids in a Japanese jail were conned into carrying drugs into Japan, this is how the past few months we have heard of numerous cases of financial shenanigans in the haredi community of people calling themselves financial experts and consultants promising amazing returns on investment and swindling people out of their money, this is how people get duped into lending large somes of money to people whom they have no idea who they are.
Just because a guy is wearing a shtreimel you can trust him? Just because he has a black hat? You have no idea who he is, don't give him your money. A guy comes collecting tzedaka at your door, it works the same way - they all have a sob story. Don't trust him just because he has a black hat, and don't give him large sums of money because of it. Either give him a small donation, or if you feel bad and want to donate more, check out his story and make sure you know who he is and that his sob story is legitimate.
Just because he dresses a certain way does not make him trustworthy.
The report is of a guy dressed impeccably fine with an impressive shtreimel adorning his head. This avreich who sometimes needs to collect money to help himself get by bumps into this impressive looking fellow. After saying hello, he realizes this fellow in the shtreimel is from America and he thinks that perhaps he can ask him for a donation on Purim.
After explaining his financial situation to the American fellow, he asked if he would be able to help him with some tzedaka.
The fellow responded that he has $1600 for the purpose of tzedaka that he brought with him from America. The only thing is, he says, is that he finds himself in an uncomfortable situation. he just landed and finds himself with no cash. He needs to borrow some money - and the number kept rising during the conversation to a final total of $800 - and then will soon pay back the loan plus he will give him the full $1600 donation in addition to the loan repayment.
The avreich felt confident enough in this impressive looking fellow, with the enticement of the $1600 donation, that he agreed to lend him the money.
To be brief, he never heard from the guy again and could not locate him with the little contact information he had.
Lesson learned? Doubtful. Perhaps by this individual, but not by people in general in the Haredi community. The community is far too trusting of anybody who looks Haredi. This is how those poor kids in a Japanese jail were conned into carrying drugs into Japan, this is how the past few months we have heard of numerous cases of financial shenanigans in the haredi community of people calling themselves financial experts and consultants promising amazing returns on investment and swindling people out of their money, this is how people get duped into lending large somes of money to people whom they have no idea who they are.
Just because a guy is wearing a shtreimel you can trust him? Just because he has a black hat? You have no idea who he is, don't give him your money. A guy comes collecting tzedaka at your door, it works the same way - they all have a sob story. Don't trust him just because he has a black hat, and don't give him large sums of money because of it. Either give him a small donation, or if you feel bad and want to donate more, check out his story and make sure you know who he is and that his sob story is legitimate.
Just because he dresses a certain way does not make him trustworthy.
Feb 17, 2010
a bracha with a money back guarantee
Baba Elazar, Rav Elazar Abuchatzeira, was always known as a great man. He is mystical, a kabbalist, he has an empire but he himself supposedly lives very simply, he wears a hood so as not to see anything "not tzanua". I never heard a bad word about him.
As somebody else said to me, these are people who we grew up only hearing great things, and we were brought up believing in the integrity.
The NY Post reports that he is under investigation for running a con by making divine promises in exchange for bucketloads of cash.
I would suggest that instead of making promises to people, these kabbalists and mystics should be offering brachos and prayers on behalf of people, explaining that there is no guarantee of success.
But he was making promises! A promise that was sold for $100,000 better come true, or else what good is the promise and how can you call it anything but a scam?
I don't know how this fits with the adage "a tzaddik decrees and Hashem fulfills", but clearly these promises were not being fulfilled.
The way they work normally is they get a certain percentage of people where the promises "came true" - the couple who received the promise had the baby, their finances turned around, their disease disappeared, whatever. Those people then go around making a lot of noise, praising these miracle workers.
What nobody realizes is that only a percentage of the promises came true - and who says that had anything to do with the promise? Maybe it is just a matter of statistics that a certain percentage of people will have their issues resolved in an unexplainable way. Nobody hears about the majority of people who received promises and nothing happened.
People - go get brachos from great rabbis, but don't accept promises that cannot be guaranteed. Unless the mekubal is offering a money back guarantee.
As somebody else said to me, these are people who we grew up only hearing great things, and we were brought up believing in the integrity.
The NY Post reports that he is under investigation for running a con by making divine promises in exchange for bucketloads of cash.
No matter how desperate a person is, I don't know how anybody can give over $100,000 for a promise that he has no gaurantee will come true.The Brooklyn DA is investigating whether a shadowy, Israel-based Kabbalist rabbi bilked vulnerable New York Jews out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by offering divine promises for cash, The Post has learned.
A stream of alleged victims from Borough Park, Brooklyn, to Englewood, NJ, said Rabbi Elazar Abuchatzeira, of Beersheba, Israel, demanded money from them during annual visits to Orthodox Jewish communities in the tri-state area.
"This man is hurting people," said Borough Park businessman Menachem Ellowich, 53, who signed over a check for $100,000 -- shown to The Post -- in exchange for a guarantee that his barren daughter would be able to conceive a child.
She never did.
"He ruined my life. He ruined my finances by making these promises."
"We know about him," said Brooklyn Assistant DA Eileen Ayvazian. "It's an active investigation.
I would suggest that instead of making promises to people, these kabbalists and mystics should be offering brachos and prayers on behalf of people, explaining that there is no guarantee of success.
But he was making promises! A promise that was sold for $100,000 better come true, or else what good is the promise and how can you call it anything but a scam?
I don't know how this fits with the adage "a tzaddik decrees and Hashem fulfills", but clearly these promises were not being fulfilled.
The way they work normally is they get a certain percentage of people where the promises "came true" - the couple who received the promise had the baby, their finances turned around, their disease disappeared, whatever. Those people then go around making a lot of noise, praising these miracle workers.
What nobody realizes is that only a percentage of the promises came true - and who says that had anything to do with the promise? Maybe it is just a matter of statistics that a certain percentage of people will have their issues resolved in an unexplainable way. Nobody hears about the majority of people who received promises and nothing happened.
People - go get brachos from great rabbis, but don't accept promises that cannot be guaranteed. Unless the mekubal is offering a money back guarantee.
Mar 11, 2009
Sooo 1999
A Windfall! I found a long lost uncle to leave me an inheritance!
This is the email I just received from my soon to be long lost uncle...
These types of emails are soooo 1999
This is the email I just received from my soon to be long lost uncle...
I am Mr Suleman bank manager of BOA Bank in Burkina faso.Wahoo! I am rich!
I will like you to stand as next of kin of $5.8M Dollars
so that my bank will transfer the money into your account
then i will come over to your country so that we share the money,
Yours,
Mr Suleman
These types of emails are soooo 1999
Jun 1, 2008
the standard Jewish scam
Ever hear the stories of the guys selling homes or development land "in Florida"? They double or triple sell the same piece of property, if any property even exists, while they make millions off the backs of their victims?
Probably most communities have a couple of these guys. we had some in Chicago when I was growing up. One of them, I found out later, was the father of a good friend. I found out well after I was in Israel and out of contact with my friend. These guys eventually get caught, though this guy i think sat in jail for a bit, then was "wanted" again but escaped to Israel before he could be picked up./ I heard that his son, the guy I was friends growing up with, had been "in the business" with his father, and while his father escaped to Israel, the son took the fall and was convicted to a 5 year jail sentence.
We now have the Israeli version of this scam. The news is reporting that a group of "Real Estate investors" is being hunted down for conning people, generally Russian immigrants, into buying development land and home projects that turns out to be in Palestinian territory.
These are properties that do not exist, and obviously are not owned (even when they do exist) by these investors.
I guess this is a Jewish scam. No matter where you go there is a jewish guy running this type of a scam.
I am just surprised the "property" they are selling is in the PA territories and not in Florida!
Probably most communities have a couple of these guys. we had some in Chicago when I was growing up. One of them, I found out later, was the father of a good friend. I found out well after I was in Israel and out of contact with my friend. These guys eventually get caught, though this guy i think sat in jail for a bit, then was "wanted" again but escaped to Israel before he could be picked up./ I heard that his son, the guy I was friends growing up with, had been "in the business" with his father, and while his father escaped to Israel, the son took the fall and was convicted to a 5 year jail sentence.
We now have the Israeli version of this scam. The news is reporting that a group of "Real Estate investors" is being hunted down for conning people, generally Russian immigrants, into buying development land and home projects that turns out to be in Palestinian territory.
These are properties that do not exist, and obviously are not owned (even when they do exist) by these investors.
I guess this is a Jewish scam. No matter where you go there is a jewish guy running this type of a scam.
I am just surprised the "property" they are selling is in the PA territories and not in Florida!
Jan 4, 2007
Olmert and the tax scandal
Shlomy Sheffer penned a great analysis in the Haaretz business section (TheMarker) of Olmert's involvement in the current crisis/scandal regarding the tax authority scam.
Oct 5, 2006
mehadrin lulavs and esrogs
Somebody showed me his lulav last night. He had bought a mehadrin set and paid the price of a mehudar set.
The lulav he showed was very nice. Nicely green, straight as an arrow, tight (some like it tight because it does not break as easily), and it looked like a clean tip.
Upon closer inspection the tip was slightly split. It was difficult to see and it had only been caught by the Rabbi he showed it to. While the lulav remains kosher, it is not considered mehudar.
This is the problem with the system of selling lulavs and esrogs. The guy selling the merchandise categorizes it as he wishes (note: pre-boxed items are categorized by the wholesaler) rather than by the actual quality of the item. The guy selling it might not (and is usually not) be an expert at evaluating whether the lulav/esrog is mehudar or not. Yet he sells the lulav as a mehudar lulav.
Now that the Rabbi has said the lulav is not mehudar you would think the buyer should be either given the difference (between mehudar and non-mehudar) in price back, or allowed to exchange it for one that is actually mehudar.
But that is not the case.
The way the system works is that the guarantee is only that the item is kosher, not mehudar. The lulav has to be declared passul (completely unfit for use) for the buyer to get his money back. Yet he still paid the mehudar price for a non-mehudar product.
What a scam.
The lulav he showed was very nice. Nicely green, straight as an arrow, tight (some like it tight because it does not break as easily), and it looked like a clean tip.
Upon closer inspection the tip was slightly split. It was difficult to see and it had only been caught by the Rabbi he showed it to. While the lulav remains kosher, it is not considered mehudar.
This is the problem with the system of selling lulavs and esrogs. The guy selling the merchandise categorizes it as he wishes (note: pre-boxed items are categorized by the wholesaler) rather than by the actual quality of the item. The guy selling it might not (and is usually not) be an expert at evaluating whether the lulav/esrog is mehudar or not. Yet he sells the lulav as a mehudar lulav.
Now that the Rabbi has said the lulav is not mehudar you would think the buyer should be either given the difference (between mehudar and non-mehudar) in price back, or allowed to exchange it for one that is actually mehudar.
But that is not the case.
The way the system works is that the guarantee is only that the item is kosher, not mehudar. The lulav has to be declared passul (completely unfit for use) for the buyer to get his money back. Yet he still paid the mehudar price for a non-mehudar product.
What a scam.
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