It’s hard not to fall into the trap set by Simon Leviev, multi-billionaire serial lover. The documentary The Tinder Scammer, released February 2 on Netflix, tells how this man with the false air of Prince Charming extorted hundreds of thousands of dollars from women he met and seduced through the famous dating app. It all starts with a banal match with Cecilie, a young Norwegian who lives in London. He is handsome, dark, he seems to travel a lot. He has everything of the ideal man, in short. After a few messages, he arranges to meet her the same evening in the prestigious Four Seasons hotel in the British capital where he offers to accompany her to Bulgaria in his private jet to continue to get to know each other.
The charm works instantly. He looks like a “normal” multi-billionaire. Cecilie even meets the mother of her estranged daughter, very complimentary about her. After a few weeks of sweet nothings, quick dates, sumptuous bouquets of flowers, Cecilie plans to move in with her prince charming. She visits London apartments, he talks to her about their future life together, about the children he hopes to have with her. How not to believe in great love in these conditions? And above all, how can we imagine that a rich diamond heir, surrounded by a bodyguard and a horde of collaborators, could have set up a ponzi scheme ultra-efficient?
A very well done scam
After a month of relationship, Simon contacts Cecilie to explain to her that Peter, her bodyguard, has been violently attacked, with supporting photos. He explains that he is in danger, that he has powerful enemies and that he needs cash to avoid traceability. He not only asks for colossal sums of money – 15,000 to 25,000 euros every two or three days – but also a credit card in Cecilie’s name to pay for his opulent lifestyle while preserving his anonymity. The young woman fears for the safety of her companion, she is terrified, she wants to protect him. In love, we do not count. On Simon’s advice, she multiplies the loans in different banks to unlock the ceiling of her card. Cecilie has no doubt that Simon will repay her quickly given her assets, but the days pass and she does not see the money falling into her bank account.
At the same time, Pernilla, a young Swedish woman who has become Simon’s friend after meeting him on Tinder, is spending a princely summer with the young man and his new girlfriend of Russian origin Polina. Cecilie’s money is therefore used to pay for luxury holidays, made up of five-star restaurants, overpriced hotels, unlimited champagne. “Simon is generous”, explains Pernilla who does not take long to discover in turn the true face of the scammer. The scenario repeats itself with the photos of his bodyguard, Simon’s danger, the need for money. The young woman who does not yet have a romantic relationship with him, does not hesitate to empty her savings to help her friend.
The tip of the iceberg
A few weeks later, he returns her a check for $500,000 as reimbursement, but the money never appears in her bank account. Same process as for Cecilie who finds herself crippled with debts. Each extortion serves him to seduce a new victim, and so on. While investigating, Cecilie discovers that behind Simon hides Shimon Yehuda Hayut, an Israeli convicted of defrauding three Finnish women in 2015. The man is wanted by the Israeli authorities for misdemeanors.
This documentary, by the producers of The Imposter and Don’t F**k with Cats, about serial killer Luka Rocco Magnotta, uncovers the ultra-sophisticated mechanics of a scam with more than 6 figures that will put three women – and probably many more – in great financial difficulty. Moral of the story, if a multi-billionaire pulls out all the stops for you on Tinder, beware.