The Tinder Swindler: Who is the main character of Netflix' new hit series?
Netflix is releasing The Tinder Swindler, a documentary film in which the titular swindler, Shimon Hayut, gets swindled by his victims. Here is his story.
The producers of Don't fuck with cats have a new programme to offer. Netflix subscribers can now watch The Tinder Swindler, in which a group of scammed women seek revenge on the same man. The gripping story is inspired by real-life events.
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THE TINDER SWINDLER
— Netflix (@netflix) September 23, 2021
You’ll never “swipe right” the same again after watching this new film premiering in February 2022 that tells the jaw-dropping story of a prolific conman who posed as a billionaire playboy on Tinder, and the women who set out to bring him down. pic.twitter.com/NCVfGkIhBN
An insane lifestyle
The beginning of the romance was like a fairy tale for these young women: a very wealthy man, Simon Leviev, 'matched' with them on Tinder. The man introduced himself as the son of Lev Leviev, the 'diamond king' and one of the richest men in the world (the actual Lev Leviev has since filed a complaint against him).
And so the dream begins. He took them out for drinks in a palace, for a ride on a private jet... The opulence on display was at its peak during increasingly crazy meetings. But it turns out that this man was not the one they thought: Simon Leviev is Israeli and is actually called Shimon Hayut.
More under this adMore under this adHe said he was threatened, and press articles were starting to appear about him. Each of his conquests paid him hundreds of thousands of dollars out of concern, with which he was able to live far beyond his means. He then used the money from one woman to lie to the other and finance his crazy lifestyle. Unknowingly, these women were giving gifts to each other in some kind of mad pyramid scheme of love.
Already charged for similar crimes
According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, Shimon Hayut grew up in the Tel Aviv suburb of Bnei Brak. He had already served three years in prison in Finland for ripping off three other women. Extradited to Israel for his trial in 2017, he was released on bail. It was from this point on that he allegedly created his millionaire persona from scratch.
More under this adMore under this ad'The man I love never existed,' one of the victims realises in the trailer for the Netflix film. Under various identities, all over the world, Shimon Hayut pressured and threatened these women. Dutchwoman Ayleen Charlotte fell into the trap and realised that she was not alone. She then decided to have the ne'er-do-well arrested...
You can find out more by watching The Tinder Swindler, available today on Netflix.