Fake hearing tests led to massive payments from National Insurance

The State Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment against Bracha Rotman, 48, from Jerusalem, for large-scale fraud. According to the indictment, using forged medical documents and impersonating parents of children, dozens of false claims were submitted for child disability benefits due to hearing impairments, leading the National Insurance Institute to transfer 9,279,399 shekels to families.

The State Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment in the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court against Bracha Rotman, 48, from Jerusalem, for large-scale fraud. According to the indictment, Rotman conspired with others to carry out systematic fraud. Advertisements were posted in various areas of the country offering assistance in realizing rights with the National Insurance Institute. Parents who responded provided details and documents concerning their children, after being told that help could be obtained in receiving a benefit for hearing impairment. The prosecution alleges that the details were used to submit claims to which fake hearing tests were attached. The tests were based on documents related to Rotman's own children, after identifying details and data concerning hearing levels were altered. The claims stated that the children suffered from hearing impairments entitling them to benefits and that they wore hearing aids. It is further alleged that after submitting the claims, Rotman called the National Insurance Institute, sometimes many times, impersonated the parents, and inquired whether the documents had been received and the status of the processing. The National Insurance Institute approved the claims and paid benefits to the families, sometimes retroactively and for several years. Rotman and the other parties collected payments from the families for handling the claims. The indictment includes 31 counts and attributes to Rotman numerous offenses of aggravated fraud, document forgery, and use of a forged document. The investigation was conducted by investigators from the Jerusalem branch of the National Insurance Institute, with the assistance of the intelligence unit and in a joint team with the crime fighting unit of the Zion district in the Jerusalem district.