A 32-year-old man from East Jerusalem and two 15-year-old girls were charged with armed robbery and fraud after allegedly posing as a young woman on Telegram to lure men to fake sexual encounters and rob them at knifepoint, police said.
According to the indictment, the suspects created a fake Telegram profile under the name “Natalie 213,” presenting her as a 21-year-old woman. Using the account, they contacted men and arranged meetings in the central town of Be’er Yaakov, believing the victims would be too embarrassed to report the crimes.
The case came to light after two men filed complaints with police in Ramla, saying they were robbed after arriving at addresses where they had arranged to meet the woman they had communicated with online.
Investigators said the two girls, who live in cities in the Shfela region, met Mohammed Atiya in December. During one of their meetings, one of the girls suggested using a fake online profile to lure men, a plan the three allegedly carried out soon afterward.
The first robbery took place on Jan. 2. One of the girls, posing as “Natalie,” arranged to meet a man at an address in Be’er Yaakov. The man arrived around 4 a.m. and was led into an apartment building. After becoming suspicious about the girl’s age and identity and attempting to leave, he was confronted in the stairwell by two masked individuals armed with a knife and a club.
Prosecutors said Atiya grabbed the man from behind, pressed a knife against his back and forced him, along with the girls, into the building’s bomb shelter, where the victim was assaulted and threatened. The suspects stole his wallet, cellphone, car keys, credit card, identification card and a military reserve service certificate. One of the girls also took cigarettes and a hair trimmer from the victim’s car parked outside.
In addition, the victim was forced to transfer 2,000 shekels via a mobile payment application. His phone was kept by the suspects to prevent him from calling police. Before releasing him, Atiya allegedly threatened him, warning him not to report the robbery.
Several days later, one of the girls again used the fake profile to arrange a meeting with another man in Be’er Yaakov. He was led into a building, where two young suspects, including Atiya, sprayed him with pepper spray and stole his jacket, which contained his phone and car keys. The man managed to escape and called police from a nearby business.
Police patrol officers arrived minutes later and arrested Atiya and one of the girls as they were attempting to access the victim’s car using the stolen keys.
During the initial investigation, the girl claimed the man had hugged her against her will and that Atiya had intervened, leading police to briefly detain the complainant as well.
While at the police station, surveillance footage showed that Atiya stole a diamond bracelet worn by the complainant through the bars of a holding cell. Moments later, as officers searched for the missing bracelet, Atiya discreetly returned it so it could be recovered and given back to its owner.
The suspects remain in custody pending further legal proceedings.