Simon Leviev, the subject of The Tinder Swindler, is claimed to have boldly returned to the dating app before the release of the Netflix documentary about him.
He has since been banned from it and several others but has returned to Instagram, where he continues to show off his lavish lifestyle.
In 2019, Simon Leviev, real name Shimon Hayut, was the subject of an article titled The Tinder Swindler by a Norwegian publication.
The 2022 Netflix documentary of the same name increased his profile, leading to several dating apps under Tinder’s parent company Match Group Inc — including Match.com, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and OkCupid — banning him.
In the documentary, three women alleged that Leviev claimed to be the son of a diamond billionaire. He was accused of taking them on luxurious dates to gain their affection and trust before scamming them out of large sums of money.
Tinder denies that Simon Leviev returned to the dating app
In 2019, Leviev was arrested by Interpol in Greece after using a forged passport.
The Tinder Swindler documentary says that one of his ex-girlfriends, Ayleen, informed Interpol that he was traveling under a false name.
Later that year, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison in Israel; however, he was released five months later due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The convicted fraudster is also wanted for alleged fraud and forgery offenses in Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
When the doc was released earlier this month, Netflix said Hayut was back on Tinder — which the dating company denied in a statement, according to NBC News.
“We banned Simon Leviev and any of his known aliases as soon as the story of his actions became public in 2019,” a Tinder spokeswoman said. “In the lead up to the release of the documentary, we conducted additional internal investigations and can confirm Simon Leviev is not active on Tinder under any of his known aliases.”
Simon Leviev denies fraud charges, says he was acting on Netflix doc
The subject of The Tinder Swindler has denied the allegations made against him by the three women in the documentary.
In a now deactivated Instagram account, he claimed to have been acting in the Netflix documentary.
“If I was a fraud why would I act on Netflix,” the text read in an Instagram story he posted, adding, “I mean they should have arrested me when we were still shooting. It’s high time the ladies start saying the truth.”
He continued, “If you can’t give them world they want they’ll turn yours to hell. I will be addressing the whole world on Friday. Stay tuned and tag others,” Insider reports.
He has returned with another Instagram account after claiming he was hacked. In a caption alongside a selfie, the convicted con artist said that he is set to tell his side of the story.
Other photos show Leviev continuing to live a lavish lifestyle. The Netflix doc claimed he launched a website offering business advice for a fee after his release from prison.