Israel has in recent years become a "mother base" for sting operations, when only in recent weeks have they been arrested at the request of the FBI and Interpol, suspected of online scams.
Now, after a sting incident that occurred several years ago, the Center for the Collection of Fines has managed to collect from convicts over two million shekels for the benefit of the United States Embassy in Israel as compensation for American sting victims.
The Americans asked Israel to collect more than NIS 50 million for them.
The Center for the Collection of Fines in the Enforcement and Collection Authority is the body that collects, among other things, compensation for victims of criminal offenses. This is usually a criminal proceeding conducted in Israel, with the funds collected being transferred to the compensators living in the country. Due to fraudsters living in Israel and serving their sentences in Israel, but many elderly Americans were deceived by the "Nigerian sting" method and thereby made large profits, currently the Center for Collection of Compensation Debt for Victims of Crime from Israeli Criminals.
In 2009, as part of a joint Israeli and American investigation, a lot of money and property seized, most likely from fraudulent money, was seized.
At the same time, the Americans requested the extradition of the members of the group and began an extradition process that eventually all were extradited to the US. Over the years, the seizure of the property and money seized was extended in 2009, in light of the fact that they were seized under a legal bylaw.
Elderly people were deceived by the "Nigerian sting" method and rake in millions of shekels.
Those photographed have nothing to do with the article, Photo: Dudu Greenspan
In 2017, a request was submitted by the State Attorney's Office to the Jerusalem District Court, which aims to enforce in Israel the compensation sentence imposed on members of the cell in the US, so that the victims of the crime will get back some of the money stolen from them. Through the Center, since funds and assets were seized, the Center acted in accordance with the provisions of the law and imposed a lien on these funds before they were returned.
Currently, three debt portfolios are open in the center in this regard - one amounts to NIS 27,964,794, a debt of a second debtor amounts to NIS 28,277,034 and a debt of a third debtor amounts to NIS 1,379,451.
The money collected from them has long been transferred to the US Department of Justice, for the purpose of transferring the funds to the victims of the crime.
Every year, the center transfers tens of millions of shekels, which it charges for victims of crime, and we consider this a mission.
"This is the first case where a Supreme Court has ordered the Center to put its professional capabilities in favor of a U.S. ruling and in favor of American compensators and I am glad that we are starting to transfer compensation money to stung victims," Infrastructure said.