New York Warns of Alleged Scam Targeting Holocaust Survivors and Their Families

New York State issued an official warning today (Wednesday) to Holocaust survivors and their family members about an alleged scam by an entity calling itself the "Jewish Holocaust Survivors Claims Center" (JHCC). Gov. Kathy Hochul said the organization had proactively contacted survivors and their relatives, offering to file compensation claims, but authorities were unable to verify its identity or the legality of its operations.

Following a preliminary investigation, the organization’s website was taken offline. "Scamming and stealing from Holocaust survivors and their family members is the lowest of the low," Hochul said.

The governor’s warning came days after the New York State Department of Financial Services referred a possible fraud case targeting Holocaust survivors to the inspectors general of New York, New Jersey, and the U.S. Postal Service. The story was first reported by JNS last Friday.

According to the allegations, representatives of the entity independently contacted survivors and heirs of Holocaust survivors through letters and messages, without any prior outreach from the survivors or their family members. The organization’s representatives allegedly pressured those they contacted to get in touch in order to "file claims for compensation or property restitution." The method: exploiting survivors’ and their families’ lack of information in order to steal their money or personal details, or fraudulently charge them fees.

Following the investigation by the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), the organization’s website was located and completely removed from the internet. Financial authorities referred their findings to the relevant law enforcement agencies for further criminal investigation.

Authorities urged the public not to respond to inquiries, letters, or emails from any entity called JHCC. The public was reminded that compensation and property-restitution claims for Holocaust survivors are handled exclusively through recognized official bodies, led by the Claims Conference or New York State’s official government office for processing Holocaust claims.