The documentary “The Tinder Swindler”, which has been shown on Netflix video streaming service since the beginning of February, has already become a worldwide sensation.
What’s the worst date you’ve ever had? Did it involve boring conversations and a bad breath? Or was it because you were scammed out of a quarter of a million dollars? The “bad date” bar for The Tinder Swindler women is much higher. The new Netflix documentary tells the story of a notorious swindler who allegedly used the Tinder dating app to live a luxurious life while cheating on women across Europe.
Tinder Swindler is an Israeli-born convicted fraudster, Simon Hayut. Hayut used dating apps to meet several women, then created credit cards and loans on their behalf, eventually leaving them with unpaid bills.
Hayut apparently followed a fraud scheme: he met women on Tinder, took them on an expensive and impressive first date (in the case of Cecilia Schröder Fjellhoy on a private plane), and slowly developed a relationship between the two, flying around the world and secretly meeting other women.
His accusers say that at some point Hautut will gain their trust, saying he is worried that his group of foggy “enemies” is just around the corner. Eventually, he sent a photo of his bleeding bodyguard, who may have been wounded by these enemies, to cause further concern. When this plea was raised, he urgently sent a message to each “girlfriend” stating that his credit card could not be used for security reasons and asking her to open a new one with her name that he could use.
He has seduced and deceived young women and is fleeing justice in several countries. He finds his victims in the dating app Tinder and then seduces them with private plane trips, luxury hotels, and expensive dinners. They believe they are meeting a wealthy businessman, but other women he has cheated pay for this luxury.
THE STORY OF Cecilia Schröder Fjellhoy
Cecilia Schröder Fjellhoy from Lillestrem is one of the women who has reported her fraud. For months, she felt they had a relationship and had daily contact with her. She has been given access to all the text messages, pictures, and videos they have shared. The man with whom Cecilia was in a relationship is called Simon Leviev.
During the first date, he was surrounded by a bodyguard, a business partner and a secretary. Cecilia found it convincing that there were other people there.
ONE WEEK AFTER THE FIRST DATE
Cecilia is surprised. She asks herself, “Will I meet you again?” They flirt every day. He returns to London next week to visit them again.
FOUR WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST DATE
Simon says the threat is so serious that he cannot visit Cecilia in London. “You need to avoid leaving digital footprints,” Simon says his security team has given him clear instructions. The day after they met in Oslo, he asked Cecilia to keep quiet about all this.
FIVE WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST DATE
Every morning, Cecilia wakes up from Simon’s message: “Good morning, darling. Did you sleep well? ” They have been chatting every day since January.
SIX WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST DATE
In the spring, they meet twice in Amsterdam, once in March and once in April. Cecilia is happy to spend time alone with Simon, who is usually surrounded by people. They are talking about renting a shared apartment in London as soon as Simon’s security situation is stable.
TWELVE WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST DATE
Cecilia is with her friends in London when she suddenly receives very unpleasant news. Simon has talked a lot about the threats, but they seem much more real now that Cecilia has seen what can happen.
Simon sends Cecilia a document that allegedly proves that he has repaid the money she lends him. The document turns out to be forged.
THIRTEEN WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST DATE
Cecilia seems to be doing everything for Simon, but only receiving money in return. To give him one last chance, she invites him to Oslo. Cecilia understands that the money is lost and the attachment is not reciprocal. She breaks all contact with Simon. Cecilia reports Simon in both Norway and England. Soon after, she contacts the police and shares her documentation.
The man, whom Cecilia considered her friend, was convicted in 2015 of major fraud against three Finnish women. She recognizes her situation in the stories of Finnish victims. Cecilia had taken out loans from ten banks to help Simon.
Eventually, one of Hayuth’s longtime friends, Eilene Colman, saw VG’s news article and turned it against him. After the story became widespread, Hajut had to find a shelter. He sought help from Eilin, the only woman who seemed to trust him, but she was well ahead of him.
Coleman eventually convinced her that she could sell his designer branded clothes to make money, and simply kept the money by swindling the Tinder Swindler herself.
After a quick detective job, she concluded that Hajut was flying to Greece and provided information about her flight to the authorities. He was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to 15 months in prison for fraud shortly thereafter.
If you want to avoid Tinder frauds, check out Dr.’s love doctor and psychology professor Kelly Campbell’s tips on how to skip dating scams or an article on Tinder’s website.