Greg's Corner

There Is No Low Too Low for Scammers

By Greg Collier

There are plenty of things scammers will pretend to be. They might pose as government officials, police officers, bank employees, delivery companies, romantic partners, or even someone’s own family members.

But there are some scams that are so cynical that they serve as a reminder of just how far criminals are willing to go.

A recent warning from New York officials involves a group calling itself the “Jewish Holocaust Claims Center,” which contacted Holocaust survivors and their families and encouraged them to submit claims for compensation.

The name alone was apparently designed to sound legitimate. The problem is that New York’s Department of Financial Services could not verify the identity, services, or legitimacy of the organization.

The state referred the matter to law enforcement and reported the group’s website to its hosting provider. The website has since been taken down.

The episode is disturbing for more than the obvious reason. It demonstrates that when scammers see an opportunity to make money, there may be virtually no tragedy, vulnerable population, or painful chapter of history that they will not exploit.

Exploiting People Who Have Already Suffered

Holocaust survivors represent an especially troubling target.

These are people who endured one of the most horrific periods in human history. Many have spent decades dealing with the consequences of persecution, displacement, and the loss of family members and property.

The idea that someone would deliberately invoke that history to make a fraudulent approach is difficult to comprehend.

Yet that is precisely why these scams can work.

Scammers understand that people are more likely to respond to an organization that appears to understand their circumstances. A group with a name suggesting that it specializes in Holocaust restitution could sound more credible to someone who actually has a legitimate connection to the subject.

The scam reportedly involved unsolicited correspondence encouraging survivors and their families to pursue compensation. That is particularly concerning because legitimate restitution programs do exist.

New York’s Holocaust Claims Processing Office, or HCPO, has spent decades helping Holocaust victims and their heirs recover assets, including money deposited in European banks, unpaid insurance proceeds, and artworks that were lost, looted, or sold under duress. The office does not charge claimants for its services.

That legitimate history gives scammers an authentic story to imitate.

The Real Program Makes the Scam More Convincing

This is one of the oldest tricks in the scammer’s playbook.

Criminals rarely have to invent an entirely fictional world. Instead, they take something real and build a fraud around it.

There really are Holocaust restitution programs. There really are people who may have legitimate claims. And there really are organizations and government offices that help survivors and their families recover assets.

That makes a fake organization with a plausible name considerably more convincing than an obviously fraudulent operation.

According to New York officials, the state’s HCPO has received claims from all 50 states and 53 countries since its creation in 1997. It has helped return more than $184 million in assets to victims’ families and recovered 356 cultural objects.

A scammer can exploit the public’s awareness of those legitimate programs without having any legitimate connection to them.

That is why a professional-looking website or an official-sounding organization name should never be treated as proof that a solicitation is legitimate.

Trust Can Be a Scammer’s Most Valuable Tool

The most effective scams are not necessarily the ones with the most sophisticated technology.

They are often the ones that create trust quickly.

A scammer may use an official-looking name, a convincing website, professional language, or a familiar story. The objective is to get the victim to lower their guard before asking for personal information, financial details, or money.

That is why unsolicited contact should always be treated carefully, particularly when the message involves financial compensation.

A legitimate opportunity does not become legitimate simply because someone contacted you about it.

In fact, an unsolicited offer of money should often be a reason to slow down.

The People Who Help Can Be Part of the Defense

The New York warning also highlights the importance of trusted organizations.

Jewish Family Services of Northeastern New York provides assistance to Holocaust survivors and their families, including help with medical needs, transportation, food insecurity, and financial assistance. The organization serves 35 Holocaust survivors and their families, and none had reported being contacted by this particular scam at the time of the NEWS10 report.

More importantly, survivors have a trusted point of contact they can turn to when they receive something they do not understand or are unsure about.

That relationship can be an important defense against fraud.

The same principle applies far beyond this particular scam. Families, caregivers, community organizations, financial professionals, and social service agencies can all play a role in helping people verify unexpected requests.

The goal is not to make people suspicious of everything. It is to give them someone they trust to consult before making an important decision.

The Scam May Be Gone, but the Tactic Will Return

The website associated with the “Jewish Holocaust Claims Center” has been removed, but taking down one website does not eliminate the underlying problem.

Scammers can create another website, change the name of the organization, and send emails instead of letters. Or, they can make phone calls and impersonate a legitimate government office or nonprofit.

The specific scam may disappear, but the strategy remains.

And that strategy is remarkably adaptable.

If scammers can exploit Holocaust restitution, they can exploit disaster relief, veterans’ benefits, Social Security, inheritances, tax refunds, charitable donations, and medical assistance.

Any legitimate program involving money and vulnerable people can become an opportunity for fraud.

There Is No Tragedy Too Sacred

Perhaps the most disturbing lesson from this case is also the simplest.

There is no length to which some scammers won’t stoop.

A scammer sees an opportunity. The victim sees a message about compensation, assistance, or justice. Behind the message may be nothing more than a criminal looking for someone who will provide personal information or money.

The fact that the scam involves Holocaust survivors makes it particularly repugnant, but it should also remind everyone that fraud does not respect tragedy.

Scammers have repeatedly demonstrated that they will exploit fear, grief, loneliness, generosity, and hope. They will impersonate loved ones, invent emergencies, and manufacture opportunities. And when a legitimate program exists, they may simply pretend to be part of it.

That is why the best defense is not assuming that some scams are too horrible to be real.

The better defense is learning to verify.

If an unsolicited message claims that you are entitled to compensation, do not use the contact information provided in the message to verify it. Find the legitimate organization independently and contact it through information you know to be genuine.

And if someone claims to represent New York’s Holocaust Claims Processing Office, the state says survivors and their families can contact the office directly to verify whether a communication is legitimate.

The victims of the Holocaust endured unimaginable suffering. They should never have to wonder whether an offer of restitution is another attempt to exploit them.

Unfortunately, the latest scam shows that even that most basic expectation cannot be taken for granted.