A taxi driver in his 30s from Kafr Aqab, a neighborhood on Jerusalem's northern edge, has been arrested on suspicion of deceiving dozens of his passengers into handing over their credit cards and PIN codes. Police say he then used the cards to withdraw hundreds of thousands of shekels from their accounts.
Police opened the investigation after passengers filed complaints at Jerusalem's Lev HaBira police station about fraud and the misuse of their credit cards by a taxi driver. Investigators identified the suspect, and police officers stationed at one of the checkpoints around Jerusalem arrested him on November 5.
According to police, the suspect used a sophisticated method. He allegedly tricked passengers into giving him their credit cards along with the secret codes, then used the cards to withdraw cash. Dozens of passengers are believed to have fallen victim to the scheme, and the sums taken from their accounts total hundreds of thousands of shekels.
The suspect was due to be brought before a court on Thursday, November 12, as police sought a further extension of his detention. Police say they are still investigating the full scope of the alleged offenses and how many more victims may be involved.
Israel Police have appealed to anyone who took a taxi and believes they were targeted in a similar way, or who has information that could help the investigation, to file a complaint at their nearest police station or call the police hotline at 100. Readers can also review how to avoid falling for common scams.
The arrest follows other recently reported crimes involving taxi drivers. In June, two 17-year-olds from the Sharon region were arrested on suspicion of stabbing a taxi driver aged 70 after they refused to pay the full fare. Police have also recently arrested three suspects for allegedly defrauding a 92-year-old woman.
