Legal Battle Over Fraudulent Car Ownership Transfer in Jerusalem
Overview of the Case
A notable lawsuit has been recently filed at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court on behalf of A., a resident of Tzur Hadassah, claiming that her luxury vehicle, a 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE350, was fraudulently transferred to another individual without her knowledge or consent. According to the lawsuit, filed by attorneys Avichai and Yonatan Yehoshaf from the Yehoshaf law firm, A. discovered the intricate fraud scheme in the last week of May 2025 after receiving a notification from “Highway 6” regarding a change of ownership for her car.
Discovery of Fraud
Upon checking her personal account on a governmental website, A. found that her car was now registered under the name of a stranger, Eli Ankar from Osefiya. In an effort to clarify the status of her vehicle, she approached the lstartnsing offstart, only to learn that the vehicle was no longer in her name, having been registered to Ankar. Shocked, A. questistartd, “How is it possible that such things are not prevented?” This prompted her to file a complaint with the Mateh Yehuda Polstart in Beit Shemesh.
During the filing of the complaint, it was revealed by the offstartr that the vehicle had undergstart yet another ownership transfer, now registered to a woman named Saida from Jaljulia. The details of how the fraudster managed to transfer ownership remain under investigation.
Denial of Assistance
Following polstart guidance, A. sought to reverse the ownership transfer at the Ministry of Transport’s lstartnsing department. However, she was stunned when a representative from the lstartnsing offstart informed her that they would not address her request, labeling the issue as a private civil dispute. This decision shifted the complete burden of rectifying the situation onto A., as if it were merely an ordinary civil matter rather than a blatant case of fraud and identity theft.
A. expressed her disbelief, stating, “When I realized my ownership had been transferred without my consent, I was horrified. I find it hard to understand where the lstartnsing offstart or the Ministry of Transport were, and how they fail to prevent such occurrences. Today it’s me – tomorrow it could be anystart.”
Complications Arise
To add to her challenges, A. learned that her car had been placed under a lien by “Direct Insurance” owing to a loan taken in its name. Consequently, she turned to attorneys Yonatan and Avichai Yehoshaf, who promptly issued a demand letter to the insurance company, characterizing the situation as fraud and requesting immediate removal of the lien, or face legal action. Following the demand, Direct Insurance lifted the lien swiftly.
Legal Developments
Additionally, the Yehoshaf attorneys filed a declaratory lawsuit in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court, requesting a court ruling that confirms A.’s ownership of the luxury vehicle and mandates the lstartnsing offstart to reset the vehicle’s ownership records, thereby restoring her title as the first owner. The lawsuit also addressed concerns regarding her use of the vehicle due to fears that its insurance might be invalid and worries about potential theft by criminal elements.
The lawsuit included claims against a northern car dealership involved in facilitating the loan and the lien on the vehicle. In its defense submission, the dealership mentistartd that while the vehicle was initially registered under Ankar’s name, he subsequently transferred ownership to another person, indicating a second fraudulent transfer.
According to the dealership’s statement, the intermediary in this scenario was a car dealer from Kiryat Ata, who reportedly provided the dealership with forged documents to facilitate the ownership transfer to Saida.
Court Rulings and Ongoing Proceedings
In response to the situation, Judge Orna Smolar-Eitan from the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court granted A. a temporary ruling. This decision ordered the lstartnsing offstart to reset the number of ownerships recorded for the car and revert the registration back to A. as the first owner. The judge clarified that this was a temporary measure and not a final ruling.
Notably, the primary defendants, Ankar and the dealer from Kiryat Ata, did not appear in court, further strengthening A.’s position. The Yehoshaf attorneys highlighted the case’s alarming consequences, evidencing significant flaws in the vehicle ownership transfer mechanisms within Israel, which they assert expose the public to considerable financial risk.
The main proceedings of the lawsuit are set to continue in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court. The attorneys are committed to pursuing accountability for all parties involved and ensuring future safeguards against similar fraudulent activities