THE NOTORIOUS “Tinder Swindler” has claimed from his jail cell that he doesn’t remember “conning women out of hundreds of thousands.”
Simon Leviev, 35, has spoken out for the first time since his arrest in Georgia for alleged fraud.
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The infamous scammer lured women in by posing as an heir to a diamond fortuneCredit: kate_konlin/Instgram
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He later became the subject of a 2022 Netflix documentaryCredit: simon.leviev.of/Instagram
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He served a 15 month sentence in Israel for fraud, forgery and theft in 2019
Talking from his prison cell, the Israeli scammer admitted to a local celebrity lawyer Mariam Kublashvili that he is no angel but has no recollections of the alleged crimes he has been accused of, reports MailOnline.
The infamous scammer has appointed Ms Kublashivili as his new lawyer, who has since likened him to The Wolf of Wall Street.
Like the disgraced stockbroker played by Leonardo di Caprio, she believes Leviev has turned over a new leaf.
His latest claim follows an arrest made last month under mysterious circumstances following an Interpol Red Notice for alleged fraud in Germany.
Mr Leviev was cuffed at Batumi International Airport, Georgia, on September 14th.
He is currently being held in Kutaisi Penitentiary Establishment No 2 and awaiting extradition proceedings.
If convicted, he could face up to ten years behind bars.
Yesterday, Mr Leviev spoke out via Ms Kublashivili for the first time since the dramatic arrest, where he has claimed to have no recollection of this.
He said: “Under the circumstances, I believe I’m either being set up or there’s been some kind of misunderstanding.”
Leviev, whose real name is Shimon Yehuda Hayut, became the subject of a 2022 Netflix documentary after he spent years luring women on dating app Tinder, while posing as an heir to the Leviev diamond fortune.
Tinder swindler Simon Leviev insists he was stitched up in first public appearance with model girlfriend
He told his victims he was the son of Israeli diamond tycoon Lev Leviev – but he has no relation to the family whatsoever.
He was arrested in 2019 in Greece then extradited to Israel where he served a 15-month sentence for fraud, forgery and theft.
His legal team are now questioning why an Interpol notice was triggered when he entered Georgia without the Germans first going to authorities in his homeland.
Mr Leviev’s Israeli lawyer Sharon Nahari said: “To arrest him in a third country, rather than addressing the matter openly through Israel, is unfair and unacceptable.”
Mr Nahari also characterised the case as “disproportionate” and “based on weak evidence.”
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Two of Mr Leviev’s victims, Pernilla Sjoholm and Cecilie Fjellhoy have since spoken out about their traumatic experiencesCredit: Pernilla Sjoholm Instagram
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Pernilla, 38, contemplated suicide after discovering the truth about LevievCredit: Pernilla Sjoholm Instagram
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Cecilie, 36, has confessed that she is still traumatised by the whole ordealCredit: Facebook
The newly appointed Ms Kublashvili added that she fears he will not receive a fair trail due to a pre-existing biased narrative.
Referencing The Wolf of Wall Street, she claimed that Mr Leviev is now a very different person.
She highlighted that since 2022 he has embarked on a new and completely legal career and published his own memoir.
In addition to fighting his extradition, Ms Kublashvili also hopes to move Leviev from his current prison to one in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi.
She claims that the current conditions he is being held in fail to meet basic hygiene standards.
While the NetflixdocumentaryThe Tinder Swindler brought their story to the world, the women he affected say the aftermath and the long road to recovery were far more difficult than anyone could have imagined.
“I’m still traumatised,” Cecilie, 36, told The Times.
Cecilie was conned into taking out nine loans totaling $250,000 (£190,000), and was hounded by creditors to the point where she contemplated suicide.
She eventually sought help at a psychiatric unit and has spent the last seven years in therapy.
She “never wanted to be on” antidepressants but explains that she “needed them.”
Pernilla, 38, also contemplated suicide after learning the truth about the man she once considered a friend.
She lost the $45,000 (£33,840) she had saved for a home deposit and then doubled that amount in legal fees when she tried to take her bank to court.
The pair have since released a book, Swindled Never After: How We Survived (and You Can Spot) a Relationship Scammer, deep dives into their traumatic journey in a bid to prevent others from falling for the same cruel tricks.
How to protect yourself from fraud
USE the following tips to protect yourself from fraudsters.
Keep your social media accounts private – Think twice before you your share details – in particular your full date of birth, address and contacts details – all of this information can be useful to fraudsters.
Deactivate and delete old social media profiles – Keep track of your digital footprint. If a profile was created 10 years ago, there may be personal information currently available for a fraudster to use that you’re are not aware of or you have forgotten about.
Password protect your devices– Keep passwords complex by picking three random words, such as roverducklemon and add or split them with symbols, numbers and capitals.
Install anti-virus software on your laptop and personal devices and keep it up to date – This will make it harder for fraudsters to access your data in the first place.
Take care on public Wi-Fi– Fraudsters can hack or mimic them. If you’re using one, avoid accessing sensitive apps, such as mobile banking.
Think about your offline information too – Always redirect your post when you move home and make sure your letter or mailbox is secure.
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Cecilie and Pernilla both featured in the Netflix documentary, alongside fellow victim Ayleen CharlotteCredit: Splash
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He would often boast of his lavish lifestyle on social mediaCredit: Instagram
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He is currently being held in a Georgian prison while awaiting extradition proceedingsCredit: simon.leviev.of/Instagram
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His lawyers fear the case will be unfairly biasedCredit: Instagram
Now, Cecilie has teamed up with private investigator Brianne Joseph to help other victims share their stories.
The duo interviews the participants and investigates their cases in the hopes of gathering enough evidence for each victim to take to the police.
Cecilie Fjellhøy (left) and private investigator Brianne Joseph team up in the new Netflix show (Image: Netflix )
Netflix’s official synopsis teases: Victims of romance scams try to reclaim their lives with help from The Tinder Swindler target Cecilie Fjellhøy and private investigator Brianne Joseph.”
Within just hours of its premiere, Love Con Revenge has received praise from viewers.
An online reviewer urged true crime fans to tune in, writing: “If you were fascinated by The Tinder Swindler, then obviously, this investigative (and often very emotional) docuseries is perfect for you.”
They added, “I think it’s safe to say that Love Con Revenge will be a guilty pleasure for many. Especially fans of true crime documentaries like The Tinder Swindler. And the cases covered in the six episodes of season 1 are pretty damn brutal.”
The docu-series has left viewers in disbelief (Image: Netflix)
Over on X, formerly Twitter, Netflix fans have been left in disbelief by the show’s fraud cases.
One wrote, “Love Con Revenge on Netflix is insane, omg. ” Another agreed: “Love Con Revenge on Netflix is so crazy.
Someone else chimed in with: “Love Con Revenge on Netflix. These stories are wild.”
A fourth urged, “I hope we are all watching Love Con Revenge on Netflix. It’s so interesting how these fraudsters operate.”
And a final viewer voiced: “Busy watching Love Con Revenge on Netflix and people are still catfishing and scamming people in the name of love in 2025?! I thought we all learnt our lessons after The Tinder Swindler.”
The Tinder Swindler shot to the top of Netflix’s charts when it premiered in 2022 – but what happened to its star Cecilie Fjellhoy after the fame?
Netflix’s new show follows in the footsteps of The Tinder Swindler, and it even features a familiar face from the hit 2022 documentary.
True crime series Love Con Revenge shines a light on men and women who lent thousands to their partners before discovering they’d been duped.
The six-part show is hosted by Cecilie Fjellhoy, who told her own romance fraud story in The Tinder Swindler.
The Norwegian-born star is now on a mission to help other love scam victims seek justice, with the help of private investigator Brianne Joseph.
But what has kept Cecilie busy since she found fame?
Cecilie’s life after The Tinder Swindler fame
Cecilie co-founded fraud centre LoveSaid (Image: Joshua Wilks/Netflix)
After topping Netflix’s charts, Cecilie teamed up with fellow scam victim Anna Rowe and set up LoveSaid, a think tank centred on fighting romance fraud.
The duo frequently share social media posts and publish articles raising awarenessabout love scams and offering support to other victims.
While the label ‘victim’ may have negative implications, it is not one Cecilie rejects.
The TV star made her thoughts on the label clear back in 2023, telling The Guardian: “Yes, f***, I want to be viewed as a victim. After being told by police: ‘It’s not really a crime.’ If that was the treatment I got, and my case was really high profile, what will they do to others?”
Beyond her collaboration with Anna, the entrepreneur has also found success as a public speaker, often leading talks on fraud detection and prevention.
The Netflix star has spoken at educational conferences everywhere from New York to Dubai, and more recently transformed her story into a novel.
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Titled Swindled Never After, Cecilie wrote the book alongside The Tinder Swindler’s other alleged victim, Pernilla Sjoholm.
The duo claim this novel is not “just a retelling of The Tinder Swindler” but “a powerful mix of personal storytelling and eye-opening insights.”
Cecilie’s latest venture in exposing romance fraud is of course her new Netflix series, which spotlights the many shapes that love scams can take.
Speaking before the series premiere, she told Netflix: “Since The Tinder Swindler, I’ve heard from people all over the world who’ve been targeted by criminals hiding behind love.
“Love Con Revenge is a way for me to use what I’ve learned to help others heal, reclaim their voices, their power, and their lives.”
