From the COLlive Inbox:
I’m what people would call a gevir. A successful guy who has money to give. I give to charitable causes. I give generously. I just donated my hard-earned money to scam artists right here in our community. I want to make sure you are not scammed like I was so I will tell you what happened to me personally.
I gave a lot of money to another woman her claims to be running a major chessed organization. Turns out she takes most of the money for herself and her relatives.
One woman calls me very often crying that they will lose their apartment. She milked tens of thousands of dollars from me and a few other gevirim. Turns out, her rent has long been covered. Instead, she is using the money to buy other things that are considered a luxury.
Another recent situation is a couple who approached me begging for money for their children’s tuition. I gave them the money right away since they said the principal will kick them out of school. Long story short, I met the principal and he said someone else paid their tuition months before.
These are real life situations and now I know that the people who really need money are NOT the ones asking. The people who really need tzedakah are too embarrassed to ask.
I was a victim of these FRAUDS. Hashem gives wealth to people and opportunities to give tzedakah and WE HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE TZEDAKAH GETS TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE. THE ONES WHO ARE TRULY IN NEED. Not the scam artists. These people should be ashamed that they are taking food and money from those who really need.
To those who are deceiving many people: don’t take advantage. We work hard for our money. Don’t lie to us. Don’t steal from us.
Sometimes a person is not worthy of a particular sum of money going to a proper tzedaka and H-shem sends the fraudsters to “collect” so that the money should not be used for true kedusha.
Introspection is needed by the OP to see why H-shem is not allowing his money to go to the right causes, although from what I understand this is a fraction of the total amount given and thus i would say a kappara.
Sometimes I wonder if they are really jewish. They stand on Coney Island ave near Eichlers or pomegranate grocery collecting aggressively. What I think I’m going to do is go a half hour before candle lighting time and see if they are still there. They claim they live in queens.
1. CH Givirs pls support our local schools first of all , help the schools make an affordable tuition for all, so less will beg for food & rent
2. Share black list of scammers with local Rabonim and local givirim
3. Take of Beggers -scammers out of the street – put their faces in all social media for all residents so we all donate to the right place
BS”D To 26 I believe that the one who sits in front of house of glatt is Jewish, he once told me that he was beat up in a group home when some tried to confiscate his Tanya
Many communities have a Vaad Tzedakah that issues a teudah/certicate/authorization if Jewish and etc.
Heyyy YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT OF THIS ARTICLE
This article is talking only this our people of our comnunity
STAY FOCUS !
I do not agree! “Pocket change” adds up! Parents send their children here from all over the world with limited finances to do it . The “pocket” money they give to their children is limited and hard earned . It is NOT nice for these snood/kippa wearing people to stand around ask, almost demand that these young people give them! They wouldn’t be doing this day after day in our community for hours at time if it didn’t pay off for them at the end of the day! If a yid is not going to help another yid then no… Read more »
Heyyy YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT OF THIS ARTICLE
This article is talking only this our people of our comnunity
STAY FOCUS !
The men by 770 with the envelop .everyone give him .for many years.he just standing and collecting. I asked him who is the kallah you collecting for. He told me it’s not a kallah it’s for my family. He drive a car -30.000$. The money can go to our hachnasat. Kallah. We need more help.
This is absolutely true. This person collecting by house of glatt is a goy with a yamulke
Are we yoitzai with giving maaser and tzadakah when the receiver is a scammer? Have I performed an act of chesed when the panhandler is really spending the money on drugs?
Similarly, one who claims that money is needed for tuition or mortgage, or else they may be thrown out or evicted. And is just milking the system.
Proof of really being in need via documentation and vetting is a critical component in a large Jewish community. Why go to work when one can scam their way to riches under the guise of tzadaka.
Fyi,
There were Men who put on yalmulkas and women who put on snoods and were asking for tzedaka. They were NOT jewish. Community pushed them out of the neighborhood.
We have the same in mtl. The Goyim put on snoods and yarmulkas on their kids and stand by the yeshiva on purim snd before yamim tovim and ask for “Zedaka”, or to the stores where yidden shop. When someone asked to take their picture they ran away.
I don’t think this article was addressing beggars on the street, rather pepole that are part of our community (some very well known) who are running these scams, and we’re not talking pocket change either!
You completely miss to understand, this article is not talking for the people goyim coming from outside out of our community we know that !!!!! BUT it’s for our people from our community that they are very very smart and capable and master at fundraising for themselves and not to work meaning these tzedakka business make our people incapable and profiteer!!!
These people on Kingston collecting most of them are just scammers. The women who come with children are usually not a yid and their husband /partner is in a car a few blocks away. If this is the case they should identify as so and allow people the choice rather than just wearing a snood and pretending otherwise! There are two older women from Penn. That pay 40 dollars round trip on a bus 2x a week to collect from our community Little amounts add up! I often see Israeli BoucherI’m giving what few extra dollars pocket money they have… Read more »
That would be to embarrassing for them.
They SHOULD have enough issues without the landlord/ school knowing of their financial hardships.
UNFORTUNATELY, that’s the way they scam you.
VERY GOOD ARTICLE AND THE SOLUTION THAT ALL THE GVIRIM, FUNDS OR ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE AND WORK TOGETHER IN ORDER TO GIVE ONLY TO THE NEEDY AND NOT TO THE SCAMMERS AND TO RUN A TRUE BACKGROUND ON THEM!
Simple solution would be if a person or family is in need of Tzedaka they should first get cleared by the local Bes Din of Crown Heights – makes no difference which Bes Din they go to and have the Rav call the “giver” direct it just takes two minutes to have a Rav make a call and the giving will only be for one time. If the author of this article is an authentic business person im sure he has a knack for business swindlers he ought to use the same approach when it comes for Tzeddaka.
Ive also reached the point to basically give to organizations that I trust. And it’s also true that those who really need do t ask. But that’s up to us as a community to look out for our neighbors/students/kids friends etc. And next time- give them instead of those ppl or organizations that may not be totally trustworthy
Always give directly to the source, as stated! If it’s to a school, landlord, etc, make sure they give you a receipt….some things are out of our hands, but it’s important to do as much as possible to ensure that the needy are the ones getting the help.
we all know these things happen, unless we can fix the problem, like give names, videos and pictures , articles like these have no help
If that’s the case the entire community should be made aware of this. For situations like this one (where a crook is making a frum person collect tzedaka for them!) the community should be made aware NOT to give any money to her. Instead there should be a community allotment given by the CHJCC perhaps to make sure she has food to eat.
here is a guy sitting in front of old house of glatt who is a goy with a yarmulke. i once saw someone who i know does not have money give him out of rachmonus please many out on the street are goyim so check before you give
Are any of these people to ask for money have jobs the husband or wife?. If they do not have jobs all I could say is that yes the beginning it’s embarrassing but once you do and get from one or two people you start getting comfortable and even if they collect enough to cover whatever they were asking for from someone else not necessarily they have money for other things they just use a terminology that will tug at the heart to be able to get as much as they can. again I don’t think they’re living the luxury… Read more »
Perfect Solution!
Today,…….. there are so many scammers,….. getting haskama from the Bais Din will weed out many liars,…….. making it easier for those truly in need to get tzedakah.
Beware of the Robinhoods….
Stealing from the rich, to give to the poor, AND THEMSELVS!!!!
BS”D A wise man in CH once told me if don’t give to anyone you will never be scammed
Why give to fundraisers when you can give directly to the Yeshiva or Organization.
Fundraisers take off 50 percent!
If you don’t know or merely suspect someone / organisation are not genuinely in need of funds, then only give very small sums of money. If in real desperate need, they will be truly grateful for whatever is offered. If you have been scammed for larger amounts, then it’s a case of ‘once bitten, twice shy’ and you just have to be more circumspect in the future.
Yes, scammy people are going to be scammy – it’s possible that they don’t even realize that what they’re doing is considered stealing by everyone else. The only people who will feel bad are the honest hard-working ones. The only thing you can do is pay those they owe directly, or decide which organizations have missions that tug at your heartstrings and give generously there.
You are all blessed. Everyone deserves a luxury sometimes.
Would it be possible for those who are being scammed to get a photo of their scammers b4 they realise you are on to them.
Then for a site to be made for all the community to know who to be aware of.
My good sir, I sympathize with you. It happens to many, we all get scammed once in awhile. I agree with another commentors. I am not as you call yourself a “g’vir” but I can and do help in times of need. As the homeless asking for money for a cup of coffeee or lunch then using it for drugs. Or a scam artist asking for Schar Limud for a child or rent on the brink of conviction. I definitely would pay the school the landlord or bring the homeless in a restaurant pay the owner 5-10$ and allow them… Read more »
For the last 7 years a goy send a Israeli girl
To collect “Tzdaka” he told her that one day he will
Marry her.and she believed him.till now she ask everyone
To give her. And once a week he come. To pick up that
Money.she seat in front of Gombo.
For 7 years. This is big problem.
If someone can help.or do something
To stop this immediately.
Thanks for the psa.
I would love to get your info as I am actually in need.
May the aibershter repay you just l Iike you (have) give(n) to others, by just trusting their request, hashemi should give you whatever you ask for without checking if it’s deserved
Ask them to repeat the שמע , say שמע see if they follow
Gypsies are crooks they don’t know the shma
I was blessed to be a very wealthy yid but I keep a low profile. When I give tzedokah to strangers I don’t know I don’t give more than a hundred dollars and that’s usually a choshuva looking yid from Yerushalayim. My real money I give to people who spread Torah and I see they are in need.
Just wondering if this is the same few gofundme pages in the past years…
I hate to say it but I’ve been snubbed as well. I was considering gofundme do an investigation but honestly have been to scared to come to the plate.
Thanks for bringing up this issue for all to be aware of.
If you have any doubts GIVE, but when it’s clear that our worst enemies are trying to pull a scam on the very naively good hearted of the community, it is no mitzva to fund them. As far as i can tell they don’t even collect out of need but raise money for their ‘organizations;. There were some Arab girls pretending to be Jewish, they were kicked out of the other communities and tried their hoax on Crown Heights. Again, when in doubt give but if it’s very clear.. don’t be a fool.
I can use a loan.
Distributing צדקה must NEVER be done by a single person:
Always, by two or more.
Robinhoods were never the Jewish way!!!! Yes
ALWSYS:
כבדהו וחשדהו
Trust, BUT verify!!!!
Perhaps give it to the school/landlord/grocery store directly?
Thank you for writing this article . I like to be on.the giving end but I 2 was scammed too many times. now I only give to the source . You need food I pay the food. Or I send them to an organization I trust . You need rent money pay the landlord . I had a situation where I raised lots of money for someone getting evicted in the end she got evicted and the money wasn’t given to the landlord .
We have a system in place where anyone collecting Tzadakah must first be vetted by our vaad harabonim and receive a valid dated certificate from the vaad with a photo upon request. Wake up, you have no one but yourselves to blame
May you (and everyone) be benched to give out so much money that even a certain amount go to scams (which is still tzedoka as far as Hashem is concerned) than to have to be on the other side!
Unfortunately This type of behavior occurs everywhere , there is no way to know who are scam artists , they make it difficult for those who are truly needy .
Now that you know, what are you going to do about these people? And what will you do differently in future?