Who Is The Netflix Series Tinder Swindler Star Simon Leviev & What Is He Doing Now?
Tinder has been a dating app for those looking for love, but it became the starting point of misery when several European women experienced a fraudster they thought was their prince charming.
Now known worldwide as Simon Leviev, the Tinder Swindler, Israeli national Shimon Hayut was the topic of the recent Netflix documentary with the same name.
Leviev refused to be a part of the Netflix documentary, threatening in a voice message to the team behind the documentary he would “proceed with the lawsuit” for “defamation and lies.”
However, as The Tinder Swindler director Felicity Morris told Newsweek, he can no longer hide behind the “guise” of Simon Leviev “the heir of the Israeli diamond fortune” anymore after his elaborate scams were uncovered for the whole world to see via Netflix.
Who Is Shimon Hayut, Aka Simon Leviev?
Hayut changed his name to Simon Leviev to falsely pose as the son of Russian-Israeli billionaire and diamond mogul Lev Leviev.
Through a lavish lifestyle depicted on social media, he would scam European women he met on Tinder and lure them with destination dates via private jets, expensive meals, and five-star hotels.
Through this Ponzi scheme between 2017 and 2019, where he would use money from one woman to fund luxurious dates with another, Hayut’s fraudulent activities were said to have amounted to an estimated US$10 million, according to The Times of Israel.
And the documentary was just the tip of the iceberg of Hayut’s many other criminal acts.
What Happened in Simon Leviev’s Life After the Broadcast of The Tinder Swindler
There are few things that happened in Simon Leviev’s life
More Victims Come Forward
Fjellhøy, Sjoholm, and Charlotte are not the only women scammed by Leviev between 2017 and 2019. As heard in The Tinder Swindler, Leviev is believed to have stolen an estimated $10 million over the years from numerous women.
Since the documentary’s release, Fjellhøy and Sjoholm have shared they have been contacted by others who may be potential victims of Leviev.
The Tinder Swindler’s producer Bernie Higgins told Newsweek: “We are expecting to hear from more people. There are loads of stories that we found that didn’t make it into the film because you know we have to hit that streamline, or we’re aware of dozens and dozens more victims so if there’s anything that we can do to stop him from being able to continue, then that will be something.”
Tinder Delete Leviev’s Profile
Just 48 hours after the release of The Tinder Swindler, the dating app Tinder confirmed to Newsweek Leviev could no longer use Tinder.
The statement read: “We have conducted internal investigations and can confirm Simon Leviev is no longer active on Tinder under any of his known aliases.”
On February 1, a day before the documentary was released, Tinder published a set of new guidelines titled “Romance Scams: How to Protect Yourself Online.”
Tinder is not the only dating site Leviev is banned from. NBC News reported shortly after the release of The Tinder Swindler, Leviev was banned from other apps under Match Group Inc, including Match.com, Plenty of Fish, and OkCupid.
LLD Diamonds responded to Leviev’s Lies
Shortly after the release of the Netflix documentary, LLD Diamonds responded to Leviev’s lies, shutting down his claims he was affiliated with the company.
In a statement to Newsweek, LLD Diamonds said: “LLD Diamonds has been a well-regarded leader in the diamond industry for three decades. Our company has no connection whatsoever with Shimon Hayut, and he is a fraud which has tried to exploit our good name to con victims out of millions of dollars.
“Our sympathies go out to his victims. His fraud has also caused ongoing confusion about our company. Nothing he has said, about LLD or anything else, should be believed.
“As soon as we learned of the fraud, we filed a complaint with the Israeli police, and we hope that Mr. Hayut faces the justice he deserves.“
LLD Diamond’s statement is another blow to Leviev if he is still falsely claiming to be the son of Lev Leviev to other potential victims today.
French Montana Shares Image of Him and Leviev
“Unforgettable” rapper French Montana took to Instagram to share he had once crossed paths with Simon Leviev.
“I can’t believe I met the swindler,” Montana wrote on Instagram with the laughing emoji. Later reposting the image with a different caption.
Montana poked fun at Leviev in his second post, referencing the lies Leviev would tell his victims about being in the hospital after a fight and needing money to protect him from his enemies.
He wrote: “Hey we just left the hospital. French Montana is fine again, we are fine again, but our enemies are after us. Please send 50k fast. Please,” alongside several crying face emojis.
Cardi B Mocks Leviev On Twitter
Tweeting to her 21 million followers, Cardi B also poked fun at Leviev.
She wrote: “My enemies are after me. Please send me 100K” alongside the sad face emoji.
