elderly person (illustration)
elderly person (illustration)ISTOCK

Police arrested two 29-year-old men from central Israel following complaints by more than a dozen elderly Israelis that young men were knocking on their door, breaking into their homes, and stealing their money.

As more incidents were reported the police realized that they were not isolated cases, but an organized campaign targeting the elderly. Police in the central district cooperated with police from around the country where similar incidents were reported.

The investigation revealed that the suspects acted with a consistent modus operandi (M.O.). They would wander the streets until they found an elderly person on their way home. They would knock on the victim's door and offer them a NIS 200 bill ($56). When the elderly person reached the bill, the suspects would pull it away and enter the home to steal their money.

The suspects chose to target the elderly because they assumed they would face less resistance and that it would be more difficult for their victims to identify them.

The investigation lead to the arrest of the suspects and their indictment for 14 cases across the nation. The suspects have prior convictions for theft and fraud.