The Tinder Swindler’s ‘Simon Leviev’ has denied being a fraud as he says victims should ‘start saying the truth’.
Yesterday Leviev, whose real name in Shimon Hayut, returned to Instagram where he posted a defence of himself and criticised the women he scammed.
On his Instagram, he wrote: “If I was a fraud why would I act on Netflix I mean they should have arrested me when we were still shooting [sic],” Hayut wrote on Instagram Stories.
“It’s high time the ladies start saying the truth. If you can’t give them world they’ll turn yours to hell [sic].”
Leviev is the subject of Netflix's hit true-crime documentary, The Tinder Swindler.
Upon breaking his silence, Leviev vowed to make an "announcement to the world" about his views on the Netflix show this Friday.
Read our Tinder Swindler live blog below for the latest news and gossip...
Milica Cosic 27 minutes ago
Where is Simon currently?
Currently 31 years old, Simon Leviev lives as a free man in Israel, according to Instagram stories shown in The Tinder Swindler.
Further to this, Simon Leviev has not been charged for any crimes that may have occurred outside of Israel, including the conning of Cecilie Fjellh？y, Pernilla Sj？holm, or Ayleen Charlotte, who appear in Netflix’s documentary.
Because of Simon's swindling schemes, it is unfortunate to say that Cecilie, Pernilla, and Ayleen are still paying off their debts and have set up a GoFund me page.
Milica Cosic 57 minutes ago
An address to the world... pending
The Tinder Swindler subject Shimon Hayut went on to delete his social media after the release of Netflix documentary last Wednesday (February 2), but returned to Instagram yesterday (February 7) to defend himself.
In his Instagram statement, he said he is planning on “addressing the whole world” this Friday (February 11), adding: “Say my name #Simon Truth.”
Milica Cosic Today, 14:30
How to avoid falling prey of another 'Simon Leviev'
There's always a warning about being careful who you meet on dating apps, and the new Netflix documentary "The Tinder Swindler" exemplifies this.
Falling prey to fake accounts on dating sites is however more common than you think.
Experts have however come up with telltale signs to look out for to make sure you're not being cheated on or being take advantage of:
1. Not a person, but a bot: There are many ways bots operate. One of them could be approaching the victim and starting a conversation, but before continuing to talk, it can ask the user to verify their account, claiming that it is doing so for security.
2. Catfishing and fake identities: Catfishers are people who lie about their online identity in order to establish a romantic relationship with another person. Usually, all their photos are also fake, as are the phone numbers and other contact details.
3. Sextortion: In most cases of "sextortion" or sexual blackmail, scammers take the conversation to a platform outside of the one they are using. It is common for them to move the conversation to WhatsApp and then via Skype.
The objective is to manipulate and have sexual encounters in front of the cameras to be able to record everything and then ask for money in return
Milica Cosic Today, 14:00
The Israeli model Simon Leviev is now dating
At the end of The Tinder Swindler on Netflix, it is said Simon Leviev is now a free man after being released from jail, and is dating an Israeli model.
Nothing else is said about who she is, but The Tab revealed her name is Kate Konlin. Kate, full name Katherine, Konlin is signed to Metropolitan Models and IMG Models.
With Simon Leviev’s Instagram account now live again, he has posted Instagram stories of the pair of them since the Netflix film was released.
One showed the two of them riding in the back of a Rolls Royce together.
Milica Cosic Today, 13:30
‘Simon Leviev’ Banned From Dating App
The con man investigated in Netflix’s new documentary “The Tinder Swindler” has been banned from the dating app.
When the doc was released on Wednesday on Netflix, it reported that Hayut was still active on Tinder.
However, Tinder said in a statement to Variety on Friday that: “We have conducted internal investigations and can confirm Simon Leviev is no longer active on Tinder under any of his known aliases”.
Milica Cosic Today, 13:00
How long was Simon Leviev in prison for?
When he fled Israel he moved to Finland, where he began the Tinder scheme featured in the documentary.
Leviev served two years in a Finnish prison previously and was released in 2017.
He briefly returned to Israel but escaped before he could be captured.
When he was finally arrested in 2019, it was for the forgery, theft and fraud charges, which he denied.
He was sentenced to 15 months in prison but only served five months in the end, after being released for good behaviour.
Milica Cosic Today, 12:40
Did Shimon Hayut go to jail?
Over the years, Hayut has been in and out of jail - but never for very long.
According to, The Times of Israel, Shimon was “charged in Israel with theft, forgery and fraud in 2011 for cashing stolen checks, but fled before sentencing. He was convicted in Finland for defrauding women and was returned to Israel in 2017, but fled the country again."
Additionally, in 2019, he was then imprisoned in Israel after pleading guilty to fraud charges but was released after serving five months of a 15-month sentence, reportedly due to a program that was meant to reduce the prison population because of the coronavirus pandemic.
As of February 2022, Shimon Hayut has been released from prison.
Milica Cosic Today, 12:37
How many names did ‘Tinder Swindler’ Simon Leviev use?
According to Netflix, the Tinder Swindler, Simon Leviev, allegedly used three names to engage in fraudulent activities.
After he was charged and convicted for fraud in Finland with his real name, Shimon Hayut, he reportedly used a different name, Simon Leviev, to carry out an elaborate Tinder scam.
Once his name was revealed by a media outlet, he quickly changed his name to David Sharon, possibly in an attempt to evade law enforcement according to Netflix.
Milica Cosic Today, 12:34
What is the Netflix documentary about?
The stories of Cecilie Fjellhoy, Pernilla Sjoholm, and Ayleen Charlotte - three of the Swindler's alleged victims - are shared in the 2022 Netflix documentary.
Between the women, thousands of dollars were reportedly taken by Hayut - including over $200,000 from Fjellhoy and $45,000 from Sjoholm.
As of February of 2022, Hayut has not been charged with defrauding Fjellhoy, Sjoholm, or Charlotte.
"I think that it is incredibly hard for the women," director Felicity Morris said to Vanity Fair.
She continued: "Here's a guy who's really wronged them, and yet it appears from his Instagram now that he's basically just living the same life as he did before."
Milica Cosic Today, 12:31
Explained: Who is the 'Tinder Swindler'?
Although his real name is actually Shimon Hayut, Simon Leviev conned a series of women under his alias.
He would allegedly use the money he got from various women to take dates on private-jet rides and luxury hotel stays; which he used as a tactic to gain their trust before asking them for large sums with the promise of paying them back.
Hayut was "charged in Israel with theft, forgery and fraud in 2011 for cashing stolen checks, but fled before sentencing," the The Times of Israel reported.
The outlet continued: "He was convicted in Finland for defrauding women and was returned to Israel in 2017, but fled the country again."
He was imprisoned in Israel in 2019 after pleading guilty to fraud charges, but was released after serving five months of a 15-month sentence.
Milica Cosic Today, 12:28
British doctor on becoming close to millionaire dating fraudster (Continued...)
A British doctor, 36, has revealed how she dated the business partner of Simon Leviev, Avi.
She continued to say: "He took my phone number and we started WhatsApp messaging. We also spoke on video calls, so I realised his profile pictures were definitely him and he was not Catfishing me.
"He immediately told me that he was always in different countries and was flying more than one million miles a year.
"We spoke over a couple of weeks and he was always in a different location, sending me geotags from five star hotels all over Europe in places like Italy, Austria, Spain, Bulgaria, and Amsterdam.
"He seemed to be in a different place every day, and he kept sending me pictures of more private jets. It just didn’t seem real.
"I did check his Tinder account which shows the distance that a person is from you and it all seemed to match with the places he claimed to be in.
"He said he had lots of business interested including diamonds, real estate, a transport company, credit consulting and business management.
"He also told me that he had been in the Israeli army and his family lived in America. He said his full name was Avishay which meant “gift from God”."
Milica Cosic Today, 12:24
British doctor on becoming close to millionaire dating fraudster
A British doctor, 36, has revealed how she dated the business partner of the fake millionaire dating fraudster who is exposed in the new Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler, and only realised after watching the show.
The 36-year-old, who has requested to remain anonymous, had a whirlwind relationship with a friend of Israeli conman Simon Leviev, 31, who is suspected of conning women out of ￡7.4million.
She met Leviev's friend Avi on dating app Tinder in December 2017 and was wined, dined and treated to overnight stays in London and Berlin.
She said her relationship with Avi fizzled out because she couldn't see herself being part of the 'crazy jetset lifestyle' which he led with business partner Simon.
She said: "I was going to London a lot to stay with friends at weekends at the time and I was going on Tinder. If someone is paying you attention, it’s a great way to forget about your ex.
"I did meet a few people in London, and then Avi’s profile suddenly popped up. It was full of pictures of him on private Jets and in luxury cars.
"He seemed to have a fun life, and dressed well. He seemed nice and I liked the idea of meeting someone successful.
"We matched immediately after I swiped right, and he started sending me messages straight away over Tinder.
"I was worried that he was probably a Catfish, but I didn’t think that I had anything to lose as long as I was careful."
Milica Cosic Today, 12:21
GoFund me page set up for victims
Victims Cecilie Fjellh？y, Ayleen Koeleman and Pernilla Sjoholm have since set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to repay their debts after being conned.
“You’re probably here because you’ve heard about our story, and we appreciate you taking the time to search and find this page,” they wrote.
“The past few days have been a whirlwind, and we three (Ayleen, Pernilla and Cecilie) have been completely shocked and floored by the flood of compassion and support from everyone. The sheer love is more than we ever expected, and we appreciate you all so much.”
They added: “We don’t want more people getting defrauded. We realise there are a thousand other worthy causes to donate to, and remain forever grateful if you choose to donate to this one. All we want are our lives back.”
Milica Cosic Today, 12:18
The 'Tinder Swindler’ reacts to Netflix documentary
Before deleting his Instagram page, The Tinder Swindler reacted to the Netflix documentary made about him.
He wrote: “Thank you for all your support.
“I will share my side of the story in the next few days when I have sorted out the best and most respectful way to tell it, both to the involved parties and myself. Until then, please keep an open mind and heart.”
‘Simon Leviev’ however returned to the social media site yesterday, and his Instagram is now active once more.
Milica Cosic Today, 12:15
Did Simon delete his Instagram?
Hayut went on to serve just five months of his 15-month prison sentence.
He deleted his social media after the series dropped on Netflix on Wednesday (2 February).
However, he has now re-downloaded his Instagram and it is live again.
Milica Cosic Today, 12:12
‘Speak the truth’
THE Tinder Swindler’s ‘Simon Leviev’ (whose real name in Shimon Hayut) has denied being a fraud as he says victims should ‘start saying the truth’.
Yesterday, Hayut returned to Instagram where he posted a defence of himself and criticised the women he scammed.
On his Instagram, he wrote: “If I was a fraud why would I act on Netflix I mean they should have arrested me when we were still shooting [sic],” Hayut wrote on Instagram Stories.
“It’s high time the ladies start saying the truth. If you can’t give them world they’ll turn yours to hell [sic].”
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