Simon Leviev, the convicted Israeli con artist who gained worldwide notoriety as the subject of Netflix’s 2022 hit documentary The Tinder Swindler, has been arrested in Georgia, local officials confirmed on Monday.
Leviev, whose real name is Shimon Yehuda Hayut, was detained at Batumi airport in the country’s south-west after arriving on an international flight. Georgia’s interior ministry said the arrest was carried out at the request of Interpol, though the precise grounds for the detention were not immediately disclosed.
The 34-year-old became infamous after an investigative documentary exposed his elaborate romance fraud scheme between 2017 and 2019. Posing as the son of a wealthy diamond tycoon on the dating app Tinder, Leviev lured women with private jets, designer gifts and luxury trips before convincing them he was in danger from shadowy “enemies” and needed urgent financial help. Victims said they handed over life savings and loans losses estimated at more than $10 million.
One of his victims, Norwegian woman Cecilie Fjellhøy, told the filmmakers she gave him more than $270,000. Another, Iren Tranov, has sued him in Israel, claiming he failed to repay more than 144,000 shekels (£31,000).
Leviev has consistently denied the allegations and previously told the BBC that the Netflix documentary presented a distorted view of his life.
This is not his first brush with the law. In 2019, he was convicted of four counts of fraud in a separate case in Israel and sentenced to 15 months in prison, though he served only five. Despite his criminal record, Leviev appeared to travel freely in recent years, with his lawyer telling Israel’s Ynet news site on Monday: “I spoke with him this morning after he was detained, but we don’t yet understand the reason.”
In addition to financial fraud claims, Leviev has faced personal accusations. In 2023, former girlfriend and model Kate Konlin alleged that he subjected her to physical and emotional abuse.
She said a violent argument left her bleeding and suicidal, though Leviev rejected the claims and insisted he had never harmed a woman.
The Tinder Swindler was released in February 2022 and quickly became Netflix’s most-watched documentary in 90 countries, amplifying global awareness of Leviev’s alleged crimes and the voices of his victims.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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