Have you ever been on the worst date from tinder? What did that feel like? What worse did it possibly include? Was it a dull talk with foul breath? Or for a change did it entail you being duped out of a quarter-million dollars?
The Tinder Swindler’s ladies may have a higher standard for a “most traumatic tinder date.” they have ever been on. The new Netflix documentary chronicles the story of a prominent conman who reportedly exploited the Tinder dating app in order to enhance the pleasures of enjoying a luxurious and elite lifestyle while scamming women all over Europe.
On Cecile Fjellhy’s first date with Simon Leviev. They flew from London to Bulgaria on a private jet for a single night in January 2018. They’d met on Tinder, and after a coffee date at his hotel, he’d expressed remorse about having to depart for a work trip. But maybe she’d prefer to come along with him? She looked up her date. He was the son of Lev Leviev, a well-known Russian-Israeli diamond tycoon. While his driver waited, she went home and prepared a bag. It was the start of a whirlwind romance that would leave her devastated, betrayed, and more than $200,000 in debt. Cecilie, along with Pernilla Sjöholm and others, is featured in Netflix’s latest true crime documentary The Tinder Swindler.
So, who exactly is the Tinder Swindler?
Shimon Hayut, a convicted fraudster born in Israel, is the so-called Tinder Swindler. Hayut met many women on dating apps, then arranged lines of credit and loans in their names, eventually leaving them with the bills.
Born Shimon Hayut in Bnei Brak, a city immediately east of Tel Aviv, Simon Leviev altered his name, acted as an imposter when he had no real link to the Israeli diamond billionaire family whatsoever. In Finland, he was convicted of fraud using his birth name, but he carried out his Tinder scam as Simon Leviev, pretending to be the son of billionaire diamond tycoon Lev Leviev. When his identity was disclosed in a VG exposé, he allegedly changed his name to David Sharon in order to avoid being captured by the police.
He first fled Israel in 2011 to avoid prosecution for fraud-related offenses committed in his early twenties and then moved to Finland, where he allegedly began conducting the operation currently detailed in Netflix’s new documentary. He was sentenced to two years in jail in Finland in 2015 for defrauding three women, and following his release in 2017, he returned to Israel. Before he could be apprehended, he fled to Europe, where The Tinder Swindler starts up with Cecilie’s narrative.
What type of tinder swindle was it?
If we carefully look at the Netflix documentary then Hayut appears to have followed a pattern in which he would match with a woman on Tinder, take her on an expensive and impressive first date (in the case of Cecilie Schrder Fjellhy, a trip on a private jet), and gradually build their relationship while flying around the world and secretly dating other women. Hayut’s accusers allege that at some time, he would confide in them that he was concerned about a vague gang of his “enemies” lurking around the corner. To arouse the additional anxious behavior, he would apparently try to transmit a photo of his wounded bodyguard, reportedly hurt by these opponents.
How much money did he swindle?
According to The Times of Israel, the amount is anticipated to be $10 million. Hayut would avoid payments by cajoling, threatening, and generally putting his victims off: He developed a practice of sending more erratic WhatsApp voice messages, including sending one to the filmmakers when he discovered the existence of The Tinder Swindler. Cecilie, Pernilla, and Ayleen are still working to pay off their obligations.
“How can you put your faith in a man who has fled Israel twice?” A guy who duped and cheated women throughout Europe out of hundreds of thousands of euros. “Where is justice?” When the news of Leviev’s release from jail emerged, Pernilla Sjöholm informed Israel’s Channel 12 news. “Myself and a few other women filed cases against him with the European Court of Justice, and we also filed reports with Interpol,” claimed a Finnish lady who requested anonymity. “Private investigators and Interpol agents are waiting for him to leave Israel so they can arrest him,” another victim alleged. “He wrecked my life and broke me emotionally and financially.”
Where is Simon now?
According to Instagram stories revealed in The Tinder Swindler, quite clearly, we can observe that Simon Leviev now lives as a free man in Israel and is presently dating Israeli beauty Kate Konlin.
His account had approximately 100,000 followers before the program aired, but it was changed to private. However, after the piece gained prominence, Leviev shut his Instagram account entirely. “Thank you for all your support,” he added before deactivating the account. I’ll provide my side of the story in the coming days once I’ve determined the best and most courteous way to explain it to both the interested people and myself.
Leviev has claimed in a new interview with Inside Edition that The Tinder Swindler isn’t true. “They sell it as a documentary, but in reality, it’s like a completely[ly] made-up movie,” he explained as he sat next to his girlfriend Konlin.
He stated some other arguments that were alleged against him and do not rely on any evidence at all, in which he further claims that “I’m not a Tinder con artist” He said about himself that he was simply a single man who on Tinder was looking forward to meeting some females and that he is not this monstrous creature. People don’t really know him personally so, therefore they should not pass judgments on him. “I’m infact the world’s biggest gentleman,” said Simon
Adding to the controversies, Simon Leviev has also just signed with Gina Rodriguez, which is an L.A.-based talent manager. According to a Gitoni representative, he aspires to publish a book, host a podcast where he advises dating dos and don’ts, and appear in a programme where women vie for his affection.
The Netflix tale piqued my interest. “I witnessed the world’s best salesperson,” Rodriguez told L.A. Mag in a statement. “However, it left me with many unresolved issues and was quite prejudiced.” “I think that every tale has two sides and that everyone should have the opportunity to share their side of the story.” Lastly, Simon Leviev has not been seen to be prosecuted for any crimes committed outside of Israel, including the alleged duping of Cecilie Fjellhy, Pernilla Sjöholm, or Ayleen Charlotte, all of whom feature in Netflix’s documentary. He has also been permanently banned from the site. But, at the conclusion of the documentary, we find Hayut living the same opulent lifestyle he did before prison, complete with a new girlfriend despite the fact that he’s never stopped swiping right before.
Read More : ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE