Israeli ‘Tinder Swindler’ Arrested in the Country of Georgia After Interpol Alert

Simon Leviev, the Israeli man widely known as the “Tinder Swindler,” has been arrested in Georgia after arriving at Batumi airport.

Leviev, whose birth name is Shimon Yehuda Hayut, gained worldwide notoriety following the 2022 Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler. The film detailed how he tricked women on the dating app Tinder by pretending to be related to wealthy diamond magnate Lev Leviev. Over several years, he also ran financial schemes that are believed to have defrauded individuals and banks of nearly $1 billion.

Despite the accusations, Leviev denied the claims after the documentary’s release. In an interview with CNN in 2022, he said that he “just wanted to meet some girls.”

Leviev’s attorney told the Israeli media outlet Walla that it remains unclear why he was arrested in Georgia. “I spoke with him this morning after he was detained, but we don’t yet understand the reason. He has been traveling freely around the world,” the lawyer said.

This is not the first time Leviev has faced legal trouble. In 2019, he was arrested in Greece and extradited to Israel, where he was convicted of fraud, forgery, and theft. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison but only served five months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Georgia’s Interior Ministry, Leviev was wanted internationally. He was flagged under an Interpol red notice and was detained as soon as he crossed into Georgia.

The case has once again brought Leviev into global headlines, showing that even years after his scams first came to light, he remains a wanted figure by international authorities.

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