Notorious “Tinder Swindler” Sued by Family He Impersonated
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Simon Leviev, the infamous “Tinder Swindler,” is facing a lawsuit from the Leviev diamond family he impersonated on the popular dating app Tinder. Simon Hayut, who goes by the alias Simon Leviev online, faces charges of impersonation and unfairly representing the real Leviev family. The Israeli diamond tycoon Lev Leviev has formally filed suit against Hayut for his online schemes.
Posing as the family’s heir, Hayut reaped the benefits of a luxurious lifestyle and passed himself off as Lev’s son. The lawsuit alleges that Hayut was “cunningly using false words, claiming to be a member of the Leviev Family, and that his family will pay and bear the costs of his benefits.”
Hayut posed as a wealthy heir on dating apps like Tinder, where he charmed unsuspecting women and asked them to loan him money. He cultivated an online persona characterized by obscene wealth and luxury. The authorities believe Hayut defrauded women of nearly $10 million before the police put a stop to his scheme.
“The defendant used the dating application ‘Tinder’ to locate women who he then emotionally manipulated, cunningly bamboozled of funds, and eventually convinced to transfer large sums of money to him under the guise of being on the run from individuals intending on hurting him,” according to the Leviev lawsuit.
Police arrested Hayut in late 2019 and he was found guilty on charges of fraud, theft, and forgery. The court sentenced Hayut to 15 months behind bars for defrauding women throughout Scandinavia and the European mainland.
He served five months of his prison sentence before securing an early release. Hayut’s early release infuriated his victims, many of whom said they were embarrassed that they fell for his lies.
Hayut’s online antics stirred up controversy and posts detailing the bizarre tale went viral. Netflix cashed in on the mayhem surrounding Hayut’s case in early 2022, releasing a documentary titled “Tinder Swindler.”
Chagit Leviev, Lev’s real daughter, characterized Hayut as a “fraud who stole our family’s identity and has tried to exploit our good name to con victims out of millions of dollars.”
Chagit went on, explaining, “I am relieved that his real identity and actions have been globally exposed, and hopefully this will bring an end to his unscrupulous actions. The lawsuit we filed today is just the first step out of many we will be taking to have him face justice and get the sentence he deserves.”