Israeli police in Tel Aviv have arrested a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of extorting money from at least two classmates in what authorities describe as a protection racket operated through social media.
Officers from the Tel Aviv South station took the suspect into custody after parents discovered suspicious messages on their children's phones and reported the matter to authorities. A prosecutor's statement was filed against the suspect this week, with a formal indictment expected to follow shortly.
According to the police statement, complaints began arriving at the Tel Aviv South station earlier this month regarding a 14-year-old who allegedly contacted several minors through the TikTok app. The suspect is accused of demanding payment in exchange for "protection," threatening his peers, all around his own age, with physical violence if they refused to comply.
The frightened victims paid the suspect on multiple occasions, but he continued to demand more money while escalating his threats. At one point, parents of one victim noticed the concerning messages and brought their child to the police station to file a formal complaint.
Youth division investigators from the Tel Aviv South station launched an inquiry and identified two minors who had fallen victim to the alleged extortion scheme. On August 19, 2026, police arrested the 14-year-old suspect from central Israel and brought him in for questioning.
During the investigation, detectives gathered evidence suggesting the suspect not only threatened the minors and demanded increasing sums of money after they had already paid, but also required them to provide him with new clothing items—all supposedly in exchange for his "protection."
The suspect's detention has been extended multiple times by the Tel Aviv Youth Magistrate's Court. The Tel Aviv District Youth Prosecution Unit filed a prosecutor's statement against him this week, and police say a serious indictment will be submitted in the coming days.
