Pictures of hostages
Pictures of hostagesMiriam Alster/FLASH90

Three suspects have been arrested after they allegedly impersonated family members of hostages and displaced persons and raised thousands of shekels while cynically exploiting the situation and public sympathy.

The three impersonated several individuals from the families of the hostages and displaced people while using their photos, which they took from social media, and sent messages to the public using messaging software, asking for cash donations only.

The investigation up to this point has found that the suspects allegedly managed to fraudulently raise the large sum of nearly 100 thousand shekels.

This morning, investigators arrested the central suspect as they attempted to leave the country, as investigators from the Fraud Unit, with the assistance of the Zichron Yaakov and Migdal Ha'emek police stations, arrested two additional suspects, residents of northern Israel in their 30s.

After questioning, the police will ask the Hadera Magistrates Court to extend the suspects' detention.