THE NOTORIOUS “Tinder Swindler” has claimed from his jail cell that he doesn’t remember “conning women out of hundreds of thousands.”
Simon Leviev, 35, has spoken out for the first time since his arrest in Georgia for alleged fraud.
kate_konlin/InstgramThe infamous scammer lured women in by posing as an heir to a diamond fortune[/caption]
simon.leviev.of/InstagramHe later became the subject of a 2022 Netflix documentary[/caption]
He served a 15 month sentence in Israel for fraud, forgery and theft in 2019
Talking from his prison cell, the Israeli scammer admitted to a local celebrity lawyer Mariam Kublashvili that he is no angel but has no recollections of the alleged crimes he has been accused of, reports MailOnline.
The infamous scammer has appointed Ms Kublashivili as his new lawyer, who has since likened him to The Wolf of Wall Street.
Like the disgraced stockbroker played by Leonardo di Caprio, she believes Leviev has turned over a new leaf.
His latest claim follows an arrest made last month under mysterious circumstances following an Interpol Red Notice for alleged fraud in Germany.
Mr Leviev was cuffed at Batumi International Airport, Georgia, on September 14th.
He is currently being held in Kutaisi Penitentiary Establishment No 2 and awaiting extradition proceedings.
If convicted, he could face up to ten years behind bars.
Yesterday, Mr Leviev spoke out via Ms Kublashivili for the first time since the dramatic arrest, where he has claimed to have no recollection of this.
He said: “Under the circumstances, I believe I’m either being set up or there’s been some kind of misunderstanding.”
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 told his victims he was the son of Israeli diamond tycoon Lev Leviev – but he has no relation to the family whatsoever.
He was arrested in 2019 in Greece then extradited to Israel where he served a 15-month sentence for fraud, forgery and theft.
His legal team are now questioning why an Interpol notice was triggered when he entered Georgia without the Germans first going to authorities in his homeland.
Mr Leviev’s Israeli lawyer Sharon Nahari said: “To arrest him in a third country, rather than addressing the matter openly through Israel, is unfair and unacceptable.”
Mr Nahari also characterised the case as “disproportionate” and “based on weak evidence.”
Pernilla Sjoholm InstagramTwo of Mr Leviev’s victims, Pernilla Sjoholm and Cecilie Fjellhoy have since spoken out about their traumatic experiences[/caption]
Pernilla Sjoholm InstagramPernilla, 38, contemplated suicide after discovering the truth about Leviev[/caption]
FacebookCecilie, 36, has confessed that she is still traumatised by the whole ordeal[/caption]
The newly appointed Ms Kublashvili added that she fears he will not receive a fair trail due to a pre-existing biased narrative.
Referencing The Wolf of Wall Street, she claimed that Mr Leviev is now a very different person.
She highlighted that since 2022 he has embarked on a new and completely legal career and published his own memoir.
In addition to fighting his extradition, Ms Kublashvili also hopes to move Leviev from his current prison to one in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi.
She claims that the current conditions he is being held in fail to meet basic hygiene standards.
Ten years on from being conned out of thousands, Mr Leviev’s victims remain traumatised.
While the Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler brought their story to the world, the women he affected say the aftermath and the long road to recovery were far more difficult than anyone could have imagined.
“I’m still traumatised,” Cecilie, 36, told The Times.
Cecilie was conned into taking out nine loans totaling $250,000 (£190,000), and was hounded by creditors to the point where she contemplated suicide.
She eventually sought help at a psychiatric unit and has spent the last seven years in therapy.
She “never wanted to be on” antidepressants but explains that she “needed them.”
Pernilla, 38, also contemplated suicide after learning the truth about the man she once considered a friend.
She lost the $45,000 (£33,840) she had saved for a home deposit and then doubled that amount in legal fees when she tried to take her bank to court.
The pair have since released a book, Swindled Never After: How We Survived (and You Can Spot) a Relationship Scammer, deep dives into their traumatic journey in a bid to prevent others from falling for the same cruel tricks.
How to protect yourself from fraud
USE the following tips to protect yourself from fraudsters.
Keep your social media accounts private – Think twice before you your share details – in particular your full date of birth, address and contacts details – all of this information can be useful to fraudsters.
Deactivate and delete old social media profiles – Keep track of your digital footprint. If a profile was created 10 years ago, there may be personal information currently available for a fraudster to use that you’re are not aware of or you have forgotten about.
Password protect your devices– Keep passwords complex by picking three random words, such as roverducklemon and add or split them with symbols, numbers and capitals.
Install anti-virus software on your laptop and personal devices and keep it up to date – This will make it harder for fraudsters to access your data in the first place.
Take care on public Wi-Fi– Fraudsters can hack or mimic them. If you’re using one, avoid accessing sensitive apps, such as mobile banking.
Think about your offline information too – Always redirect your post when you move home and make sure your letter or mailbox is secure.
SplashCecilie and Pernilla both featured in the Netflix documentary, alongside fellow victim Ayleen Charlotte[/caption]
InstagramHe would often boast of his lavish lifestyle on social media[/caption]
simon.leviev.of/InstagramHe is currently being held in a Georgian prison while awaiting extradition proceedings[/caption]
InstagramHis lawyers fear the case will be unfairly biased[/caption]