Who Is The Tinder Swindler? Here's where Simon Leviev is now - Netflix Tudum
- The true story behind the new documentary.Feb. 14, 2022
What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on? Did it involve boring conversation and bad breath? Or did it involve you getting scammed out of a quarter of a million dollars? For the women of The Tinder Swindler, the bar for “bad date” may be a little bit higher. The new Netflix documentary tells the story of a notorious conman who allegedly used the Tinder dating app to live a life of luxury while defrauding women across Europe.
So who is the Tinder Swindler? The so-called Tinder Swindler is Shimon Hayut, a convicted fraudster born in Israel. Hayut used dating apps to meet multiple women, then established lines of credit and loans in their names, ultimately leaving them holding the bills.
If he was already convicted of fraud, how did he manage to get away with it again? Like a demonic Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can, Hayut appeared happy to jump from one identity to another in order to keep his scheme running. He was convicted of fraud in Finland under his birth name but carried out his Tinder con under the name Simon Leviev, claiming to be the son of wealthy diamond magnate Lev Leviev. Once his name was revealed in a VG expose, he supposedly took the name David Sharon to evade the authorities.
What kind of scam was it? Hayut apparently followed a pattern: He would match with a woman on Tinder, take her on a costly and impressive first date (in the case of Cecilie Schrøder Fjellhøy, a trip on a private jet), and slowly build their relationship while flying around the world and secretly dating other women. His accusers claim that, at a certain point, Hayut would confide in them that he was worried a nebulous group of his “enemies” was just around the corner. Eventually, he would send a photo of his bleeding bodyguard, allegedly injured by these enemies, to incite further concern. Once that groundwork had been laid, he would urgently message each “girlfriend” to say that his credit card could not be used for security reasons and ask her to open a new one under her name for him to use. From there, he was off to the races.
How much money did he steal? An estimated $10 million, according to The Times of Israel. Hayut would evade repayment by cajoling, threatening and otherwise stalling his victims: He made a habit of sending increasingly unhinged WhatsApp voice messages, even sending one to the filmmakers when he learned about The Tinder Swindler’s existence.
How did he get caught? Eventually, one of Hayut’s long-term girlfriends, Ayleen Koeleman, saw the VG piece and turned the tables on him. After the story went viral, Hayut had to take a break from jet-setting and lay low. He turned to Koeleman, the only woman who seemed to trust him, for help — but she was way ahead of him. Koeleman eventually convinced him that she could sell his designer-brand clothes to make some cash and simply kept the money, swindling the Tinder Swindler herself. After some quick detective work, she deduced that Hayut was flying to Greece and gave his flight information to the authorities. He was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to 15 months in prison for fraud in Israel soon after.
Now that he’s in jail, is Tinder safe? Hayut was released from prison after only five months and Tinder has confirmed that he has no known active profiles or aliases on its service. Additionally, he has been permanently banned from the site. But at the end of the documentary, we see Hayut continuing the same lavish lifestyle he led before prison, along with a new girlfriend — although that’s never seemed to stop him from swiping right before.
All About The Tinder Swindler
- What To WatchDon’t let these con artists scam their way into your heart.By Phillipe ThaoMay 3
- What To WatchFrom the award-winning series on OJ Simpson to the infamous Murdaugh trial.By Phillipe ThaoApril 18
- What To WatchImmerse yourself in these fascinating real-life stories.By Mary SollosiJan. 25
- NewsThe Making of a Swindler podcast may have found another scam.By Ariana RomeroFeb. 20, 2022
- NewsNetflix’s new podcast answers one of your biggest questions.By Ariana RomeroFeb. 18, 2022
- Status UpdateHere's what she's up to now.By Charlotte WalshFeb. 10, 2022
- InterviewWe ask a love doctor how common catfishing really is.By Charlotte WalshFeb. 5, 2022
- NewsThe true crime doc drops on Feb. 2.By Lydia WangJan. 12, 2022
Shop The Tinder Swindler
Discover More Explainer
- Explainer“baby rein, thot u were rid of me??”By Christopher Hudspeth3:50 pm
- ExplainerHannah Dodd has entered the ballroom.By Ariana RomeroYesterday 11:55 pm
- ExplainerNicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, and showrunner Jess Brownell reveal more.By Ariana RomeroYesterday 10:35 pm
- ExplainerEverything you need to know to become a diamond of the first water.By Jean BentleyYesterday 9:48 pm
- ExplainerEt voilà! Find out what happened to Assane Diop.By Jean BentleyMay 15
- ExplainerAnd the answers to all your questions about the stunning finale.By Rebecca JohnsonMay 15
- ExplainerA psychologist delves into the minds of animal owners who choose tigers over cats and dogs.By Ben Rawson-JonesMay 15
- ExplainerOn-jo and Cheong-san shippers: Buckle up.By Haein JungMay 15
Related Videos
- What To WatchFrom 'Murdaugh Murders' to 'Amanda Knox', dive into these criminal stories.March 16, 20232:00
- Press PlayThe shady story of the Tinder Swindler explainedFeb. 24, 20223:00
- Press PlayWhat happens when you get scammed by a scammer?Feb. 7, 20221:00
- Press PlayAll feelings have been erased.Feb. 7, 20220:00
- Press PlayHow on Earth is she going to get that much cash?Feb. 7, 20220:00
- Press PlayWhat do you say to your worried friends? YOLO.Feb. 3, 20220:29
- Press PlayHow do you confront someone who is lying to you?Feb. 3, 20220:18
Latest News
Popular Now
- Sneak PeekIt’s good to be back home in Mayfair — especially for Penelope and Colin.By Ariana RomeroMay 14
- NewsSanta won’t be the only one seen all over the world.By Henry GoldblattYesterday 12:15 am
- NewsThe matchup will be eight rounds, with Serrano vs. Taylor as the co-main event.By Amanda Richards and Roxanne FequiereYesterday 4:00 pm
- NewsDavid Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo are back to helm the series.By Tara BitranMay 15