Simon Leviev, the convicted fraudster known as the “Tinder Swindler,” has been arrested in Georgia on an Interpol warrant after years of evading authorities worldwide.
Simon Leviev, whose real name is Shimon Yehuda Hayut, was detained on Sunday at Batumi International Airport on the Black Sea, according to Georgian officials and his attorney. The arrest was carried out on the basis of a Red Notice issued by Interpol.
Leviev gained international notoriety as the subject of Netflix’s 2022 documentary The Tinder Swindler, which revealed how he posed as the son of a Russian diamond tycoon and conned women out of an estimated $10 million. His schemes involved luring women with displays of private jets, luxury hotels, and designer clothing before persuading them to hand over large sums of money under the guise of emergencies.
Despite convictions for fraud, theft, and forgery in Israel, Leviev had long avoided significant prison time. He previously served two years in Finland for defrauding women, was arrested in Greece in 2019, and later sentenced in Israel to 15 months for fraud before being released after five months due to COVID-19 concerns.
His attorney said Leviev had been traveling freely in recent years and the reasons for his detention in Georgia remain unclear. Authorities in the country have not yet announced whether extradition proceedings will follow.
Leviev was banned from dating apps after the release of the documentary, which featured testimony from several of his victims and sparked global awareness of romance fraud schemes. His latest arrest underscores the continued challenges of prosecuting cross-border fraudsters who use online platforms to exploit victims worldwide.
