 "Shimon Hayut is seen here in Greece in July 2019, from where he was extradited to Israel. File Image/AFP")
Shimon Yehuda Hayut, the Israeli national who gained worldwide infamy under the name Simon Leviev and became known as the “Tinder Swindler”, has been arrested in Georgia following an Interpol red notice.
The 34-year-old was detained at Batumi International Airport on Sunday as he attempted to enter the country.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry confirmed the arrest on Monday, with spokesperson Tato Kuchava telling AFP, “He was arrested at Batumi’s airport at Interpol’s request.”
However, officials have not specified which country requested his detention.
This latest development comes years after Hayut was exposed for orchestrating an elaborate global romance scam that defrauded women of millions, a case that became the subject of Netflix’s 2022 hit documentary The Tinder Swindler.
What we know about the Shimon Yehuda Hayut
Shimon Yehuda Hayut was born on September 27, 1990, in Bnei Brak, a city near Tel Aviv, Israel. His father, Yohanan Hayut, served as the chief rabbi for El Al Airlines, Israel’s flag carrier.
By his mid-teens, Hayut had already begun engaging in fraudulent activity. At 15, he moved to Brooklyn, New York, reportedly living with family friends.
During these years, he was allegedly involved in small-scale scams, including check fraud, according to interviews conducted by journalist Felicity Morris, who later directed the Netflix documentary.
In 2011, Hayut faced his first major legal trouble when Israeli authorities charged him with theft, forgery, and fraud. The accusations included stealing chequebooks from families he worked for, one as a babysitter and another while employed as a handyman.
Rather than face trial, Hayut fled the country, reportedly using a fake passport to cross into Jordan before travelling further into Europe.
How Hayut got away with fraud
Hayut’s ability to assume new identities was central to his schemes. While evading Israeli authorities, he began using the name Simon Leviev, deliberately adopting the surname of Lev Leviev, a Russian-Israeli billionaire widely known as the “King of Diamonds.”
By presenting himself as the son of the wealthy diamond magnate, Hayut gained credibility and status. This false identity became the foundation of his future scams.
In 2015, Finnish authorities arrested Hayut.
During his arrest, officials discovered a collection of forged documents, including two fake Israeli passports, three counterfeit Israeli driver’s licenses, two forged Israeli flight permits, and five fraudulent American Express credit cards.
Hayut claimed at the time to be an Israeli citizen born in 1978.
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Finnish courts later sentenced him to three years in prison for fraud-related offenses. After serving part of his sentence, he returned to Israel but soon fled again in 2017, this time under his newly assumed identity of Simon Leviev.
How Hayut committed the infamous Tinder fraud
Between 2017 and 2019, Hayut allegedly carried out one of the most elaborate romance fraud schemes ever documented, targeting women across multiple European countries.
His method was sophisticated and carefully orchestrated. Using Tinder, the popular dating application, Hayut matched with women and presented himself as a wealthy businessman with powerful connections.
On their first meeting, he would dazzle his targets with extravagant displays of wealth, often taking them on private jets, arranging dinners at high-end restaurants, and appearing to have a team of bodyguards for security.
One of the most prominent victims, Cecilie Fjellhøy, a Norwegian graduate student, recalled her first date with Hayut, describing how he flew her to Bulgaria on a private plane from London.
Believing he was the son of a diamond tycoon, she was convinced of his authenticity. Over time, she gave him more than $270,000, thinking she was supporting her partner during a crisis.
Hayut’s scheme followed a predictable cycle. After establishing trust and affection, he would claim he was in danger from mysterious “enemies” who were supposedly targeting him.
To strengthen the illusion, he sent victims disturbing images and messages, including photographs of his bodyguard appearing injured and covered in blood.
As the story unfolded, Hayut claimed his financial accounts were frozen for security reasons. He then persuaded victims to open new credit cards in their names, which he would use to fund his travels and luxury lifestyle.
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According to Netflix, Hayut ultimately defrauded victims in Norway, Sweden, and Finland of approximately $10 million.
Some estimates suggest the amount could have been even higher when factoring in other scams and unidentified victims.
How Hayut manipuled & intimidated his victims
Hayut’s approach was not only financial but also psychological. Victims reported receiving emotional and erratic communications, including WhatsApp voice messages that alternated between pleading and threatening tones.
He was known to use these tactics to delay repayment and keep victims emotionally invested. By continually escalating the urgency of his alleged crises, Hayut made it extremely difficult for victims to walk away without losing even more money.
One victim, Ayleen Koeleman, ultimately played a pivotal role in bringing him to justice. After reading the exposé about Hayut by Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang (VG), she realised she had been deceived.
Pretending to remain loyal, Koeleman convinced Hayut to let her sell his designer clothes to help him financially — then kept the proceeds herself.
She also provided authorities with his travel details, which led to his eventual capture.
How Hayut was ultimately arrested in 2019
In 2019, VG published an investigative article titled The Tinder Swindler in collaboration with Israeli journalist Uri Blau.
The report laid out Hayut’s complex fraud operations and detailed testimonies from victims. The story quickly spread internationally, sparking outrage and attracting law enforcement attention.
Soon after, Greek authorities arrested Hayut for using a forged passport. He was extradited to Israel, where he faced trial on charges unrelated to the Tinder scam but connected to earlier fraudulent activities.
Later in 2019, Hayut was convicted on four counts, including fraud, theft, and forgery. Israeli courts sentenced him to 15 months in prison, and he was ordered to pay £35,000 in restitution to his victims, along with a £4,600 fine for possessing a counterfeit passport.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Hayut served only five months before being released early in 2020.
How Netflix made Hayut infamous
Netflix released the documentary The Tinder Swindler in February 2022, directed by Felicity Morris. The film recounted the experiences of three of Hayut’s victims, including Fjellhøy and Koeleman, and detailed the mechanics of his fraudulent scheme.
The documentary became an immediate sensation, becoming the most-watched documentary on Netflix at the time.
It sparked global conversations about online dating scams and the vulnerabilities of modern digital relationships.
Following the release, Netflix confirmed that Hayut had been permanently banned from the Tinder platform, ensuring he could no longer create profiles under any alias.
Hayut’s story has become a cautionary tale for online daters worldwide. His scams demonstrated how social media and dating apps can be exploited by sophisticated criminals.
The Netflix documentary not only brought justice for some victims but also highlighted the growing problem of romance fraud, which law enforcement agencies say has risen sharply in recent years.
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Despite public backlash, Hayut appeared to continue enjoying a luxurious lifestyle after his release, often photographed with expensive cars, designer clothes, and a new girlfriend.
In a CNN interview on February 21, 2022, he denied all accusations, stating, “I’m not a fraud and not a fake,” and described himself as a “legitimate businessman” who had made his fortune through bitcoin investments and other ventures.
What lawsuits is Hayut facing now
The exposure brought by the documentary prompted several legal actions. In February 2022, members of the Leviev family — the real diamond magnates — filed a criminal complaint against Hayut in Tel Aviv, accusing him of defamation, privacy violations, and misuse of their family name.
In March 2024, a new complaint was filed by Ephraim and Ruthy Leviev Yelizarov, Ruthy being the daughter of Lev Leviev.
They alleged that Hayut’s impersonation had harmed their family’s reputation. During the proceedings, Hayut chose to represent himself and personally cross-examined witnesses.
Separately, in November 2024, another victim, Iren Tranov, filed a legal claim against Hayut seeking 414,000 shekels (£91,000).
Tranov alleged that she had lent him 144,000 shekels (£31,000), which he failed to repay.
Hayut’s movements since his release had been difficult to track.
His lawyer told Israeli media that the specific grounds for his arrest in Georgia remain unclear, saying, “I spoke with him this morning after he was detained, but we don’t yet understand the reason. He has been travelling freely around the world.”
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With inputs from agencies