Intentional
arson to one's own business or home in hopes of receiving insurance
money for the damage. Usually
done to a home or business that you are having no success selling and are just really desperate to retrieve home equity from. The practice can be prosecuted under numerous felonies, but rarely is, because it's very hard to prove you intentionally
set fire to a building. Often times, some idiots pour gasoline all over their building in hopes of it burning faster, but that's the most common way people get caught for it. As soon as the cops and the fire department smell gasoline and see it everywhere, you're getting arrested for
arson and attempted insurance fraud, and you won't get a penny from insurance.
The term is in reference to the fact that, prior to WW2, most Jewish businesses in Europe were boycotted, so they went out of business. Because they were out of business, and no one wanted to buy a Jewish business, the businesses and buildings were essentially worthless because no one would buy them. But because, on
paper, the business and its building still had value, Jews would often intentionally
set fire to their own businesses in hopes of getting insurance
money from it, because that was the only practical way they could take back the equity value of their business.
Bob's convenience store went out of business, and then coincidentally burned down after he failed to sell it. He got a million dollars of insurance
money.
Bob also wanted to move after this, but since his home wouldn't sell, he set fire to it to get insurance
money. This time, however,
Bob was impatient, so he poured gasoline all over his house. This was a bad decision, because as soon as the fire department and the cops got there, the smelled the Gasoline and knew it was Jewish lightning. He got arrested and convicted of arson and attempted insurance fraud and got sentenced to 5 years in prison. He also got no insurance money.
