The story of the Tinder Swindler has captured the attention of millions worldwide. Simon Leiviev, who also goes by the name Shimon Hayut, is the man at the center of the controversy. The Israeli Hayut was a 31-year-old who presented himself as the son of a diamond magnate to unsuspecting women he met on Tinder.

Leiviev’s method of operation was simple: he would charm his way into his victim's hearts, and then proceed to defraud them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle. 

His victims spanned multiple European countries, including England, Norway, Finland, Germany, and Sweden.

The Netflix documentary "The Tinder Swindler" is a British true crime film directed by Felicity Morris and released on Netflix on 2 February 2022.

In the Tinder Swindler, three women share their experiences of being conned by Leiviev. And describe how he stole about $8 and a half million from his many victims.

Cecilie Fjellhoy, a 33-year-old Norwegian, is one of the women featured in the film. She met Leiviev on Tinder in January 2018, and within 13 weeks, he had scammed her out of around £200,000.

Cecilie claims she regularly receives messages from other women who believe they are also being scammed by Leiviev. And he is up to his old tricks going by a different name.

The Tinder Swindler arrested 

 Despite his arrest in Germany in 2018, his victims fear Leiviev is finding ways to continue his fraudulent activities. He was returned to Israel to stand trial.

Leviev only served five months of his 15-month prison sentence. And was released in 2020 to keep prison populations small to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

When the Netflix feature came out, his then-girlfriend defended him. The popular British model Kate Konlin,  now claims he borrowed $150,000 from her and never returned it. She added her voice to his other past victims in a BBC interview on Feb. 18, 2023.

The documentary sheds light on the psychological manipulation tactics employed by the conman, as he expertly navigates his way into his victims' lives. And builds trust and confidence before executing his scams. It highlights the need for caution when using dating apps. 

The real-life story of the Tinder Swindler is a cautionary tale.

And the 2022 documentary provides insight into the con artist who duped multiple women into giving him large sums of money. It is a fascinating and terrifying story that is also a reminder that not everyone is who they claim to be online.