Israeli fraudster, made famous by Netflix documentary Tinder Swindler, arrested in Georgia

Israeli fraudster Simon Leviev, made famous by the Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler, has been arrested in Georgia, officials confirmed on Monday.

Leviev, 34, whose real name is Shimon Yehuda Hayut, gained international notoriety after media investigations and a Netflix documentary detailed how he conned women out of millions through romance scams.

“He was arrested at Batumi’s airport at Interpol’s request,” interior ministry spokesman Tato Kuchava.

Between 2017 and 2019, Leviev allegedly posed as a wealthy heir on the dating app Tinder, persuading women to lend him large sums of money that he never repaid.

His ruse reportedly included staged displays of wealth, private jets, luxury hotels, and even bodyguards, making the deception unusually elaborate.

The Netflix documentary, released in 2022, spotlighted the experiences of several women who fell victim to his scheme.

According to the streaming platform, Hayut “ultimately defrauded victims in Norway, Finland and Sweden out of an estimated $10 million.”