Simon Leviev, the man infamously dubbed the “Tinder Swindler” after a hit Netflix documentary exposed his elaborate romance scams, has been arrested in Georgia, officials confirmed.
Authorities said the Israeli national, whose real name is Shimon Yehuda Hayut, was detained at Batumi airport on Monday following a request from Interpol. He rose to global notoriety in 2022 when The Tinder Swindler revealed how he posed as the heir to a diamond empire to defraud women out of an estimated $10 million.
Between 2017 and 2019, Leviev lured women into believing they were in a serious relationship, whisking them away on private jets and luxury trips before claiming his “enemies” were after him. Victims said they were pressured to transfer large sums of money—cash that was never returned.
One of his most vocal victims, Cecilie Fjellhøy, recounted in the documentary how she lost more than $270,000. Others, including Iren Tranov, also filed lawsuits in Israel demanding repayment.
Leviev has long denied the allegations, telling BBC Newsbeat he never defrauded anyone. His lawyer, speaking to Israeli media, admitted he was baffled by the arrest, saying: “I spoke with him this morning after he was detained, but we don’t yet understand the reason.”
This is not his first brush with the law. In 2019, Leviev was convicted of fraud in a separate case and sentenced to 15 months in prison, though he served only five. More recently, his former girlfriend, model Kate Konlin, accused him of abuse during their relationship—claims he has also rejected.
The Tinder Swindler became Netflix’s most-watched documentary across 90 countries in February 2022, giving a global spotlight to the women who came forward and sparking renewed calls for tighter safeguards against online romance scams.
Authorities in Georgia have yet to release further details on what comes next for Leviev.
