Simon Leviev, made infamous by Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler, has been arrested at a Georgian airport, officials confirmed.
Simon Leviev, whose real name is Shimon Yehuda Hayut, was detained at Batumi International Airport in Georgia following an Interpol request, according to Interior Ministry spokesman Tato Kuchava. Georgian officials have not disclosed further details regarding the charges or legal basis for the arrest, and Leviev’s lawyers say they remain unclear about the grounds for his detention.
Leviev gained international notoriety after the release of The Tinder Swindler in 2022, a Netflix documentary that outlined how he allegedly used the dating app Tinder to target and defraud women between 2017 and 2019. He reportedly posed as the son of Israeli diamond magnate Lev Leviev, luring victims into sending him large sums of money to support his fabricated jet-setting lifestyle.
The scam relied on creating a convincing illusion of wealth and danger, including rented private jets, luxury hotels, and hired bodyguards. Victims were often manipulated into believing he was under threat and urgently needed funds to remain safe.
Shimon Hayut has previously been convicted of fraud and related crimes in several countries. He served time in Finland and later in Israel, where he received a 15-month sentence but was released early. His past convictions have involved charges of forgery, identity theft, and financial fraud, with courts in multiple jurisdictions imposing penalties and ordering restitution.
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