2 Men Dressed As Jews Attempt To Collect Money From Residents

suspicios on forest ave2VIDEO: Two men and a woman attempting to collect money from unsuspecting residents, were reported to LCSW this afternoon. The men, one of whom had a name of D’mitry, put on Yarmulkas and even a suit jacket, made their way to multiple homes in the area of Forest Avenue and 5th Street, saying they were collecting for their families in Israel.

One of the men reportedly tried gaining access into several homes in a Forest Avenue apartment building.

After spotting the individuals and observing their suspicious behavior, LCSW members summoned the police.

Police arrived and did a background check on the men, and found that they were from NY.

Police asked them to make their way back to NY.

Legitimate Collectors can be identified by their Ishur, issued by the Tomchei Tzedakah of Lakewood. TLS-00/TLS-60/TLS-CCP/TLS-89

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21 COMMENTS

  1. Sadly I don’t invite someone I don’t know into my home. I will offer a drink of water….at the door. Today one needs to be cautious. Unless you know the collector or seen them around ….

  2. NOT GETTING THE WHOLE STORY ! They should have been arrested if they forced there way into someones home! If they were invited in thats a different story .
    The whole thing sounds very suspicious to me , I would never donate any money to someone I did not know no matter who they claim to be

  3. People can dress however they want, that is not illegal!!!!!!! I see people collecting money all the time this is nothing new. I think it said it was reported they tried to open doors, but do we know they did that?
    Do we know they aren’t jewish?

  4. One meshulach who comes very often to lakewood from Brooklyn is a fake! He was seen in Central park distributing Leaflets. He is easily recognizable by the tape in the back of his glasses.

  5. #11
    What does fake mean? He doesnt use it to feed himself or family? What does a REAL collector do with the money, not feed his family? Just wondering what determines FAKE?

  6. Someone once came to my door with an ishur from a rabbi in a different town. First I told him to get an ishur from the Lakewood vaad, then I gave him a dollar anyway, because I felt that it was the right thing to do.

  7. whatever you do, be cautious if you choose to answer the door to pple collecting. my family and i do not open our door to charity collectors. not that we don’t want to give charity, but just cause we like to be safe and careful. if you want to give charity, donate to an organization or give to a tzedaka box.

  8. A faker is someone who preys on the generosity of people through false pretenses. For Darchei sholom, Yidden can give to all needy persons. But someone who fuses a yarmulka that he doesn’t usually wear, or a suit jacket and white shirt because he learnt that that is the l’vush is using false pretenses.

  9. Parnsei Ho’Ir says:

    July 10, 2011 at 11:39 am

    A faker is someone who preys on the generosity of people through false pretenses. For Darchei sholom, Yidden can give to all needy persons. But someone who fuses a yarmulka that he doesn’t usually wear, or a suit jacket and white shirt because he learnt that that is the l’vush is using false pretenses.
    ================================================
    So a yungerman from bnei brak who usually wears a short jacket and a down hat comes to collect in lakewood but switches his levush to a frock and a up because he know people will give him more . Is this also a problem of false pretense?

  10. That Yungerman probably bought the frock for his chasuna as is the custome among the choshuve Yeshivaleit in E”Y. He wears it on Yom Tov and he is not masquerading as a someone he isn’t. He is simply wearing Yom Tov clothing in the vochens. It is up to your discretion to give a donation and figure out how much he deserves. This is disntinctly different from someone who does not know what Shma Yisroel is and when asked what shul he is affiliated with suddenly does not understand English.

  11. Anyone that gives another yid tzedaka based on the clothes he is wearing is wrong If someone has an Ishur you have to be assume they were investigated to be in authentic need. I know someone who came in from Eretz Yisroel to collect for a serious cause. Store owners clothed this person with their finest out of respect for that persons Chashuva Mishpacha. Does that mean that if a person is in brand name (etc..) clothes that they don’t desperately need tzedaka. It is wise to be dan lekaf zechus and give any yid with an Ishur no matter how tattered or elegant they look. Tzedaka collectors that are desperate naturally will also want to dress in a way that they will get them the most money because they are here for a limited time and must raise some times a substantial amount of money to pay back debts before eviction etc.. As long as they are not verbally lying, levush means nothing to me. If you have the financial means give as much as you can because of the situation, not because of his clothes.

  12. the vaad hatzdoka tries to verify each individual it issues an ishur for and defnietly goes a long way in vetting out the fraudsters but by far isnt fool proof as many “so called meshuluchim have figured out a way to copy and issue their own isshurs from the lakewood vaad hatzdoko
    many overstay their isshur date and come multiple times (3-5 times a year)
    many from newyork come by carload on sundays and dont bother with an issur altogether
    for many chsushuva nitzrochim (though they may feel mevuish by going thru the process) understand the necessity of it and go thru it

    rule #1 always follow your instincts more often then not your right
    rule #2 if they argue with you on the amount you give its time to cut your losses and perhaps take back your original donation
    rule #3 a bonofide nitzrich wont force himself on you will plead his story and hope youl understand you can spot the frauds=professional shnureres those that are over bearing and have an attitude

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