Israeli national Simon Leviev, widely known as the “Tinder Swindler,” has been arrested after landing at Batumi Airport in Georgia, according to OC Media. The 33-year-old, born Shimon Yehuda Hayut, became notorious following the 2022 Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler, which detailed how he allegedly conned women and banks out of millions of dollars by posing as the son of Israeli diamond mogul Lev Leviev.
Reports suggest that during his yearslong scheme, Leviev is believed to have defrauded individuals of nearly $1 billion through elaborate scams and romantic deception. His methods often involved luring women through Tinder by flaunting a luxurious lifestyle before persuading them to provide financial support.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry confirmed to OC Media that Leviev was apprehended because of an Interpol red notice. He was detained shortly after crossing into the country. The ministry has not yet disclosed which jurisdiction requested the notice.
Leviev’s attorney told Israeli media outlet Walla that the reasons behind his detention remain unclear. “I spoke with him this morning after he was detained, but we don’t yet understand the reason. He has been traveling freely around the world,” his lawyer said.
This is not Leviev’s first run-in with the law. He was arrested in Greece in 2019 and later extradited to Israel, where he was convicted of fraud, forgery, and theft. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison but served only five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the criminal convictions and global notoriety following the Netflix documentary, Leviev has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. In an interview with CNN in 2022, he claimed he “just wanted to meet some girls” and dismissed allegations of large-scale fraud.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ