According to the report an Arab showed up offering to take on people's sins in exchange for money. Prices I saw earlier indicated 20 shekels for a sin, and 30 for multiple. Kikar doesn't specify but does say another Arab showed up as competition and the two got into an altercation over this. He may have been "over" hasagas gvul, but I guess he didnt care.

The Arab collected the money in exchange for taking the sins, and also performed a kinyan sudar with each seller/buyer (I am not sure if the Jew is a seller or buyer - he is selling his aveiros but he is paying so he is really buying the clearance of his sins..)

Yes, it sounds ridiculous and crazy, but is it any stranger than kaparos or tashlich? Maybe if they had waved the Arab over their heads people would scoff less. And maybe then he could have charged more!