Netflix’s new documentary, The Tinder Swindler spotlights one of the main concerns while using dating apps: what if the other person turns out to be a scam? In this case, it was Simon Leviev, a so-called millionaire, and heir to a diamond empire who seduce women to later leave them drowning in debt.
In the documentary, it is shown that Leviev is indeed still using dating apps, until now. After the release of it on Netflix, several platforms mainly from the Match Group Inc, like Match.com, Plenty of Fish, and OkCupid.
If that was not enough, Tinder released a statement saying that Leviev and “any of his known aliases” were banned from the app since 2019, when information about the way he scammed women was published.
The filmmakers alleged that Simon had scammed several women for an estimated 10 million dollars, and though he has spent time in jail, nowadays he is a free man living in Israel.
The only participation he has in the documentary is a voice note he sends to the filmmakers warning them of a defamation lawsuit.
“I will proceed with the lawsuit against you for defamation and lies and, you know, that everything is based, basically, on a lie. And that’s it, this is how it’s gonna be,” Hayut said in the voice message.
Leviev’s Instagram account has also been deleted but is unknown if it was his decision or the platform’s.
How to spot a scam on Tinder
Just days before the release of the Netflix documentary, Tinder updated its guide to protecting anyone using the app from scams. Here’s a brief summary of what you should look or beware of.
According to Tinder, there are criminals that have scammed others for over 300 million dollars only in 2020. So you better keep in mind Tinder’s recommendations.
