Cemetery (illustrative)
Cemetery (illustrative)iStock

A family whose 30-year-old son died during the course of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) found itself the victim of a swindler.

The young man had died as a result of a complication following a surgery he underwent.

According to the family, a person who appeared religious approached them after the holiday and offered to take care of all the burial arrangements, for a cost of 15,000 NIS ($4179). The family paid in cash, and the funeral was set for 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night, on Har Hamenuchot.

According to Kikar Hashabbat, the family waited for the burial society's vehicle to arrive with the body, together with hundreds of friends who had come to pay respects. After half an hour, the family called the hospital, which informed them that the man had never arrived to deal with the body, and the body was still waiting in the hospital's room for deceased patients.

The family then called the person they had paid, but his number was unavailable. It was then that they realized they had been swindled.

Later that night, members of Jerusalem's burial society arranged matters and collected money for the funeral, which was held in the early morning hours.