THE infamous Tinder Swindler has been arrested under mysterious circumstances following an Interpol Red Notice.
Simon Leviev, 35, famed for conning women out of hundreds of thousands of pounds, was detained in Georgia on Sunday.
kate_konlin/InstgramSimon Leviev, 35, is famed for conning women out of hundreds of thousands of pounds[/caption]
InstagramHe posed as a wealthy jetsetter Simon Leviev on the dating app Tinder[/caption]
He was arrested in 2019 and convicted of fraud, forgery and theft
He was cuffed at Batumi International airport on Sunday, Georgian officials confirmed.
It is not clear, however, why he was taken into custody.
His lawyer Gili Bar Zohar reportedly said: “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.”
Leviev, whose real name is Shimon Yehuda Hayut, became the subject of a 2022 Netflix documentary after he spent years luring women on dating app Tinder, while posing as an heir to the Leviev diamond fortune.
He was arrested in 2019 in Greece then extradited to Israel where he served a 15-month sentence for fraud, forgery and theft.
Who is Simon Leviev?
Israeli Shimon Hayut, born in Bnei Brak, just east of Tel Aviv, posed as wealthy jetsetter Simon Leviev on dating app Tinder.
He told his victims he was the son of Israeli diamond tycoon Lev Leviev – but he has no relation to the family whatsoever.
He deceived and swindled women across Europe, constantly “travelling for work” and living lavishly on the cash conned from his previous target.
Leviev always promised to pay his dates back, but it was always with fake designer watches, dodgy cheques, and incomplete bank transfers.
He was arrested for unrelated crimes, and became a wanted man in Israel, Sweden, England, Germany, Denmark, and Norway.
The use of a fake passport in July 2019 saw him extradited to Israel and, in December that year, he was convicted of theft, fraud, and forgery.
He was sentenced to 15 months in prison but was freed after just five due to good behaviour.
What was he doing before his latest arrest?
Following his release, Leviev, lived as a free man in Israel.
He regularly shared snaps of his luxurious lifestyle with his 124,000 Instagram followers.
His account is full of selfies next to flashy cars, helicopters and private jets, as well as cigars, pricey dinners and designer clobber.
Leviev was rumoured to have rejoined Tinder, but a spokesperson for the app confirmed this was untrue.
He is also believed to have dated an Israeli model called Polina.
Why was he called the Tinder Swindler?
Leviev earned the name the Tinder Swindler thanks to his elaborate plot using the app.
It is also the name of a Netflix documentary that showed how he pretended to be a jet-setting diamond mogul to woo women then cheat them out of cash.
The almost two-hour film focuses on three of his victims – Cecilie Fjellhoy, Pernilla Sjoholm and Ayleen Charlotte.
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.
simon.leviev.of/InstagramLeviev regularly shared snaps of his luxurious lifestyle[/caption]
Simon Leviev/FacebookHe used three names while engaging in fraudulent activities[/caption]
InstagramHis account is full of selfies next to flashy cars, helicopters and private jets[/caption]