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By Chabadinfo Reporter

The incident began with an unsolicited phone call from a man who sounded familiar with the Lubavitch community and used the appropriate terminology. He claimed to be raising funds for a Moisad that was supposedly opening a school the following day and facing an urgent financial need.

The caller asked the Shliach for a donation. When the Shliach requested a donation link, the caller claimed the link was not working and instead asked for his credit card information. The Shliach provided the details, only to be told that the card had not gone through. The caller then requested information for a second card, which was also provided.

The conversation continued in a friendly manner, and at one point the caller offered to make a donation to the Shliach himself. The Shliach initially declined, but eventually agreed. Shortly afterward, he received a notification that $685 had been sent to him.

The caller quickly contacted him again, claiming he had intended to send only $400 and asking the Shliach to return the $285 difference.

At that point, the Shliach became suspicious. He explained that the funds had not yet cleared and that he would not return anything until the original transaction was confirmed. After several attempts to have the money returned, the caller eventually ended the conversation.

The Shliach then contacted the Rosh Yeshivah of the Moisad the caller claimed to represent. He was told that the Rosh Yeshivah had never authorized the individual to fundraise and that no such campaign existed.

The Shliach subsequently learned that the caller had also been using the name of another Lubavitcher bachur. That individual was not involved and appears to have had his identity misappropriated.

The Shliach later learned that the individual behind the calls was a troubled person who had been released from jail only the previous week.

The Shliach has deliberately chosen not to publicize the name of the Moisad or the individual involved. He explained that the name of the Moisad could simply be changed and used again in another scam, making it more important to warn the public about the method itself rather than focus on one specific name.

He emphasized that he is sharing the incident not for the purpose of Lashon Hara or publicizing the individual, but solely to raise awareness and ensure that others do not fall victim to the same scheme.

The Shliach says the most concerning aspect of the incident was how convincing the caller sounded. He knew Lubavitch terminology, spoke in a familiar style and presented a plausible story involving an urgent educational need.

The incident serves as a reminder that familiarity with the community does not establish a caller’s identity or legitimacy.

The Shliach is urging the public never to provide credit card information over the phone to an unsolicited fundraising caller.

Instead, callers should be asked to provide an official donation link. If they claim the link is not working, that should be treated as a warning sign rather than a reason to bypass the normal donation process.

Donors should independently verify the organization and obtain its donation information through a trusted source.

The incident also highlights a common scam tactic: sending money to a victim and then claiming that too much was sent, before asking the victim to return the difference. Any such request should be independently verified, and funds should not be returned before the original transaction has fully cleared.

In this case, the Shliach’s decision to wait before returning the money prevented the scam from progressing further. He ultimately canceled two credit cards after discovering that both had been compromised.

The message, the Shliach emphasizes, is not to stop giving tzedakah, but to give wisely, verify independently and never allow a convincing story to override basic financial precautions.

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