BROOKLINE, MA — A 26-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., man is headed to court after allegedly attempting to scam a Newton synagogue out of money and stealing a Brookline storekeeper’s iPhone.
The man was part of a group of six men dressed as Orthodox Jews who entered the Israel Book Shop in Brookline and, while asking for donations to a charity, allegedly stole a store employee’s iPhone. They were later found in Newton after a rabbi called the police when they asked his synagogue for money.
VIdeo – Scammer Dressed as Orthodox Jew Arrested
BROOKLINE, MA — A 26-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., man is headed to court after allegedly attempting to scam a Newton synagogue out of money and stealing a Brookline storekeeper’s iPhone.
The man was part of a group of six men dressed as Orthodox Jews who entered the Israel Book Shop in Brookline and, while asking for donations to a charity, allegedly stole a store employee’s iPhone. They were later found in Newton after a rabbi called the police when they asked his synagogue for money.
The man, whose identity was not released, was given a summons after allegedly attempting to scam Congregation Shaarei Tefilah in Newton Centre. Newton Police believed he was also behind the iPhone theft from the Jewish book store in Brookline.
An employee of the book shop sent out an alert to the Jewish Boston listserv warning of “a group of six Israeli charity Collectors” he believes stole his iPhone out of his store. The phone was later returned by police.
While in the Israel Book Shop, the group allegedly took his phone as it was charging, connected to his computer.
The group said they were members of a charity called Tzeduka V’chesed, the employee told the TAB.
The employee, who asked that his name not be published, described the group as six men, mostly young, with one man older with a salt-and-pepper beard, dressed as Orthodox Jews in black coats and hats. While this is the first time they have come into his store, he said he sees charity workers like them all over Brookline.
“They go around saying they’re collecting for a charity either based in Israel or New York,” he said. “They go around to every single major city in the United States.”
After leaving Brookline, the six were reportedly seen again in Newton. There, the rabbi, whose identity was not released, told police a man had come to the temple asking for donations for Tzeduka V’chesed. The rabbi asked for the charity’s address, and it corresponded to the home of a rabbi in New York, who reportedly said he knew nothing of the charity.
The suspect reportedly told Newton Police he was asking for donations while his friends waited outside, and that the group had earlier gone to a store in Brighton looking for donations.
Newton Police reportedly found three men waiting outside the synagogue in a brown Buick, who said they were seeking charitable donations. No one in the Buick reportedly said they knew anything about an iPhone.
The 26-year-old suspect gave different reasons for asking for money, according to the police report. First, he said he was seeking donations to help pay for his wedding, then later said he needed help paying for stomach surgery he had received.
After he got his phone back, the Israel Book Shop employee decided not to press charges, according to the report.
mgbuzzer
that book shop is right next to kuples bakery
that bakery rocks
chster
unfortunately half the guys out there knocking on doors are scammers. i worked in a boro park office for several years which had at least 10 “tzedaka collectors” visiting every day. my boss was a very generous man and actually looked into many of the cases by making phone calls etc. only to find out that so many times the collectors were creating fake yeshivos in yerushalaim etc. using various rabbis names. if you are really concerned with where the money is going do a little bit research before donating all of your trumos.