‘Tinder Swindler’ subject breaks silence, says he's a 'legit businessman'

Shimon Hayut alias Simon Leviev, claims women in Netflix docu-film were neither conned, nor threatened.

The subject of Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler has claimed he is not a fraud in his first public appearance since the show streamed. In the first part of an interview with Inside Edition, which aired on Monday, Shimon Hayut, who has gone by the alias Simon Leviev, has said he wants to clear his name following the release of the Netflix documentary.

The Tinder Swindler sees three women alleging how Leviev stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from them by tricking them into a romance scam, pretending to be in danger. Leviev successfully convinced the women that he was a wealthy man, taking them on private jets and lavishing expensive gifts and trips on them. However, he would later exploit their trust to ask for money, leaving them in monumental debt. Since the release, Leviev has criticised the show and the conmen, claiming the documentary is a “made-up movie”.

Now, in his conversation with the outlet, Hayut denied being a “Tinder Swindler” and claimed, “I’m not this monster. I was just a single guy that wanted to meet some girls on Tinder.”

The Netflix documentary follows an investigation in the Norwegian publication VG, which reported in 2019 that Hayut “seduced and swindled young women for millions and is a fugitive from justice in several countries.” Even before the time frame – that is the primary focus of the Netflix docu-film – Hayut faced multiple charges in Israel and was sentenced to prison time in Finland, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Hayut also denied fraud claims to the Netflix filmmakers and told them he would “file a lawsuit for defamation and lies.”

Referring to the women who have levelled allegations of fraud against him in The Tinder Swindler, Hayut said, “They weren’t conned and they weren’t threatened,” on Inside Edition. When asked if he’s the son of a billionaire diamond mogul, Hayut retorted, claiming that he never portrayed to be the son of any mogul. “No I am not and I never presented myself [as such].” He also does not “feel bad” for the women who spoke out against him in the documentary because he is certain he “did not do what they have alleged.”

As for his lavish lifestyle, Hayut suggests that he’s able to afford it since he is “a legit businessman.”
To defend his claim, Hayut added that in 2011, he bought Bitcoin. “I don’t need to say how much it’s worth now. I want to clear my name, I want to say to the world, this is not true,” he has assured.

Joining briefly in the first part of the interview, Hayut’s girlfriend defended him and shared that the accusations levelled against him by the women in the documentary are part of a ‘stunt’. “My God, how can someone build such a fake stunt?” She also confirmed that Hayut has never borrowed money from her. Hayut was also asked what he would say to those describing him as a “fast talker, a fraud and a fake.” He replied, “I’m not a fraud and I’m not a fake. People don’t know me so they cannot judge me.”

Since the documentary premiered on February 2, Hayut has signed with a talent agent, Gina Rodriguez of Gitoni, and joined the personalised video-sharing platform Cameo, where a personalised video with him is going for $199. On Monday, he debuted an NFT collection and has also introduced a website that sells tee shirts. A design features the line “My enemies are after me.” The website states that “a portion of the proceeds goes to Global Fund for Children.”

The Hollywood Reporter previously confirmed that Hayut has been banned from Tinder and other Match Group Inc. platforms including Match.com, OkCupid, Hinge, PlentyOfFish and others.

Hayut deleted his Instagram shortly after the The Tinder Swindler dropped but returned less than a week later, as per Independent. He used his handle to defend himself and deny that he is a fraudster. In an Instagram Story, Leviev had written: “If I was a fraud, why would I act on Netflix, I mean they should have arrested me when we were still shooting. It’s high time the ladies start saying the truth. If you can’t give them the world they’ll turn yours to hell.”

Hayut has also been seen charging fans for personalised video messages on Cameo. Fans can get a personal recorded message for £146 from him on the app, while a professional video for businesses costs £1,460. Hayut was born in Bnei Brak, Israel, and is 31 years old. According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, he legally changed his name to Simon Leviev so that his passport and driver’s license would “prove his credibility”.

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