Scammer collects 100k shekels for kidnapped families, attempts to escape

Prosecutors have filed an indictment against Stav Karif, a 30-year-old resident of Yokne'am Illit, for major fraud.

Karif pretended to be a relative of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas and collected donations under the guise of aiding the families affected by the kidnappings, casualties, and evacuations during Black Saturday on October 7.

According to the indictment, in November 2023, Karif fabricated social media accounts using real photographs of hostages' actual relatives.

He solicited donations from people, falsely claiming to support the families of the abducted individuals, and managed to amass various amounts. The total sum fraudulently obtained by the scammer amounts to approximately 100 thousand shekels.