By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com
Some people will argue with this article, but this author feels that there are halachos and Mitzvos involved, and perhaps even requirements. Some people, by dint of age and or lack of experience fall victim to scams. Grandparents are particularly vulnerable – but so are others.
One of the latest scams is the proliferation of “Order Confirmation Emails.” It usually comes from a big company such as Amazon or Costco or a bank such as Citibank. There is usually a number attached to it as well to make it look very official.
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More than 90% of them are scams designed to put malware in your computer. If you don’t recognize an order confirmation email it is highly likely to be a phishing attempt. Sometimes they take over your entire computer and demand money to release your data.
They will typically feature a link to a fake login page. The sender may ask you to log in to your account to verify your shipping or payment information. More and more the login page looks very professional.
A very famous Yeshiva was targeted before their annual dinner and they were asked to pay $15,000.
Very often the malware may be disguised as an invoice which you need to download. Downloading it will infect your computer with malware.
THE HALACHA
Yes, there is a Torah obligation upon all of us to prevent the proliferation of these schemers and rip-off artists within our community and to warn others of it. We should warn parents and grandparents about it and this author believes that it is a full obligation. It is called the obligation to be “chas al mammon chaveiro” – a fulfillment of the Torah Mitzvah of “v’ahavata larayacha kamocha.”
Examples of this Mitzvah are found in many places. The Gemorah in Moed Katan 27b tells us that when Klal Yisroel were burying their dead in the finest clothing, Rabban Gamliel HaZakain arose and declared that enough was enough. The rising pressures, the “keeping up with the Joneses” in how to dress the deceased was causing enormous economic pressure on the living. “It must stop,” declared the rabbi, and the tachrichim, burial shrouds, we now use became the norm.
BOYCOTTING FISH
The great Tzemach Tzedek (of 17th century Poland), cited by the Mogain Avrohom in the beginning of hilchos Shabbos, once ruled (responsa #28) that when local fishermen collude and lift up the price of fish excessively, a prohibition can be levied upon the consumption of fish on Shabbos. It may take a week or two or even three, but eventually the collective buying power of ordinary people would force the price back down.
OBLIGATION UPON EVERYONE
We will see, however, that it is not just great Torah leaders who have saved and are concerned for the financial well-being of others. It seems that this is what is expected by the Torah of everyone.
The Gemorah (Menachos 76a) tells us that Hashem commanded Moshe to also feed the nation’s livestock from the water that He had caused to come out from the rock at Mei Merivah. This was in order to ensure that we should be concerned with the welfare of Klal Yisroel’s livestock. The Gemorah in Shabbos tells us that we must emulate Hashem in all that we do. Mah Hu rachum – just as He is merciful, so too must you be merciful.
Also, Rashi (Rosh Hashanah 27a) points out that the kohain first removes the vessels from the house before declaring a house impure. We thus see a number of examples of how the Torah is concerned with the financial well-being of the nation.
FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS
The difference between the two cases is that the former is for the entire nation, while the latter demonstrates that the Torah is concerned even for the individual’s finances.
SOCIAL NORM AND TORAH OBLIGATION
The Chasam Sofer on Bava Basra (54b) states that, generally speaking, one can make the assumption that fellow Jews are concerned with the monetary well-being of their fellow man, and that this assumption has legal ramifications. We see then that it is the normal behavior expected of all of Klal Yisroel.
Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher, author of the Tur, discusses (in the Choshen Mishpat section of Shulchan Aruch, chapter 35) a person who does not care about the money of others. He writes that such a person will, in the future, surely answer for it. The Minchas Chinuch writes that one who is concerned about the preservation of the money of others fulfills the Biblical commandment of v’ahavta l’rei’acha kamocha (see his commentary on that mitzvah).
CONCLUSIONS
The type of scams mentioned above are happening in our own backyards, r”l. They are happening to our own bubbies and zaydies as well. We must inform them of these scams that are targeting them.
So how can they be spotted? Fake order confirmation emails are often sent from a generic address. They generally do not feature the actual brands web address, but a fake one. Some of them feature a webmail address, whereas others feature generic domain addresses. If you notice a webmail or generic sender address, the order confirmation email is very likely to be fake.
Fake order confirmation emails may not necessarily have the person’s real name, but sometimes they do.
The clear indication from the Torah sources cited above is that demonstrating concern for the financial well-being of others is not just a mitzvah, it is an expected social norm with reward for those who do it and punishment for those who do not.
May Hashem help us in ensuring that such activity be eliminated from within our community and our country and grant us yeshuos and nechamos in all areas.
Please help support the Hachnassas Kallah General Fund that Rabbi Yair Hoffman works with. Your support is most appreciated.. Click Here!
I carefully stored the receipt in my wallet to ensure I could return the item if needed.
The author can be reached at [email protected]
2 Responses
too many words, people don’t look at wordy elements
None of the examples involve scams. Why look at Chazal and later poskim? The Torah prohibits lying, incorrect weight and measures (which is labeled an abomination), and theft.