Security professionals are raising concerns about a fraudulent person involved in a WhatsApp scam aimed at numerous Jewish people.

The scam centers around a person named Edaan Brook. This person frequently changes his phone numbers and infiltrates Jewish WhatsApp groups to collect contact information. He subsequently sends private messages or makes calls to group members, claiming he “needs help for Shabbos,” is on the verge of securing housing, or has recently lost his job.

Because Brook is familiar with Hebrew phrases and Jewish customs, he can convincingly portray himself as a religious Jew, leading many to fall victim to his deceptive schemes. Victims report that he has alternately claimed to be a Lubavitcher, a Breslover, and other identities depending on the WhatsApp group he has joined.

A Lubavitcher who spoke with Anash.org and requested anonymity shared that Brook can appear quite persuasive. “He sounded like someone who perhaps didn’t grow up as frum, but knew the right ‘lingo’ for me to believe he was frum today,” he remarked. “I received a call a few months ago on an Erev Shabbos. The man said his name was Edan and that we are on a WhatsApp group together. He told me he was in a dire financial situation and he was doing his hishtadlus by calling to collect money. He knew exactly what to say.”

The Lubavitcher ended up transferring $240 to Brook, only to discover later that he had been duped.

In reality, Brook is a self-identified member of a Christian group that refers to itself as a cult, and he uses a nickname that alludes to Yoshke.

This scam has been ongoing for more than a year and has recently come to the attention of official security agencies, which have started to issue warnings. The Jewish Community Security Network, operating under the Jewish Federation of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, recently released a community security alert about this fraud.

The alert was issued by Tim Torell, the director of the Jewish Community Security Network. Torell discussed the situation with Anash.org last week and the appropriate actions to take.

“It is illegal to solicit funds under a false premise, and doing so is a crime even if no money actually passes hands,” he stated. “As such, anyone who was contacted is able to take action to help stop this from continuing.”

“The best way to deal with this issue is for those who were contacted to file a police report,” he continued. “It is up to the police how to deal with this, and litigation can be long and tiring, but as the saying goes ‘the squeaky wheel gets the oil,’ and if attention is drawn to this ongoing scam, action will be taken sooner than later.”

{Matzav.com}