True crime documentary The Tinder Swindler has just dropped on Netflix, following the story of a con man who posed as a billionaire heir on dating app Tinder to take money from women around the world.
The man, Shimon Hayut, changed his name to Simon Leviev and seduced multiple women by posing as a millionaire. He first treated the women to luxurious gifts and a fancy lifestyle, before cheating them out of their life savings.
Here’s what you need to know about the fraudster, how he was punished for his crimes and where he is now.
Who is 'Tinder Swindler' Simon Leviev and how did he defraud?
Shimon Hayut, who changed his name to Simon Leviev and called himself the 'Prince of Diamonds' - lured women in with his charming persona, before leaving them high and dry with huge amounts of debt.
He claimed to his victims that he was Simon Leviev, the son of billionaire Russian-Israeli diamond mogul, Lev Leviev - a businessman, philanthropist and investor with a net worth of $1.5billion (£1.1billion).
Hayut legally changed his name and hired staff, including assistants and a bodyguard, to make his story seem believable.
He would entice the women he met on Tinder with expensive gifts and holidays. However, he would soon say he needed the cash as threats had been made against him and his life depended on it.
Once he got the money, he would disappear and move on to his next victim, using the money from one con to impress his next target.
According to The Times of Israel , he allegedly swindled over £7million pounds ($10 million dollars) from victims across the continent from 2017-2019 alone.
In reality, Hayut was an already convicted con man who had served two years in Finnish prison for defrauding several women in order to fund his love for private jets and Ferraris.
After two years in a Finnish jail, he returned to Israel to be recharged and sentenced in 2017. However, according to The Times of Israel, he assumed a different identity and fled the country.
He changed his name to Simon Leviev and began speaking to women on Tinder in 2018.
Where is Simon Leviev now?
After all his crimes, Simon Leviev, 33, is still living as a free man. The fake billionaire who had been on the run was captured in Greece June 2019 and was extradited to Israel.
He was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay victims NIS 150,000 [Israeli currency] which equals around £35,000.
However, he was released after just five months in prison due to a programme aimed at reduced the prison population as well as the pandemic
He was later accused of lying even further, this time about being a medic in order to get an early vaccine dose. He appears to be active on a private Instagram account which has a picture of him as the profile icon.
He also launched a website, simonlevievonline , where he claims to be a "wealthy businessman who made it all on his own" and where he offers business advice for a fee.
The Netflix documentary states that Simon is also said to have been back on Tinder since his release but that he's currently dating an Israeli model.
