How one man turned digital romance into a global ten million dollar Ponzi scheme

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Shimon Hayut, known as Simon Leviev, weaponized Tinder to orchestrate a sophisticated financial deception. By masquerading as the son of a diamond mogul, he manipulated victims into funding his opulent lifestyle. His calculated ruse, which involved fake threats and forged bank documents, ultimately swindled an estimated ten million dollars worldwide.

The 2022 documentary The Tinder Swindler, directed by Felicity Morris, chronicles the elaborate methods of Israeli conman Shimon Hayut. Hayut utilized the dating app Tinder to establish connections, eventually convincing women to lend him significant sums of money. He justified these requests by claiming he was being targeted by enemies, often sending identical messages and images to multiple victims to simulate a security crisis. To maintain the illusion, he used funds obtained from new victims to finance lavish dinners and private jet travel for others, effectively operating a Ponzi scheme.

The psychological manipulation extended beyond simple requests for cash. Hayut frequently used threats to extort further funds and provided forged documents to simulate bank transfers as a means of repayment. The impact on his victims was profound, leading many to take out bank loans and open new credit cards to support his supposed emergency. Following the film's release on February 2, 2022, Tinder and its parent company, Match Group, permanently banned Hayut from all their platforms, including Hinge, Match.com, Plenty of Fish, and OkCupid.

The documentary's release triggered a wave of reactions and legal consequences. While critics praised its propulsive narrative, some noted the film's reliance on dramatic reconstructions. In the aftermath, the three primary victims launched a GoFundMe campaign to address their debts. Meanwhile, Hayut’s bodyguard, Peter, filed a lawsuit against Netflix for $5.6 million, claiming inaccurate portrayal. Hayut himself remained active in the public eye, launching an NFT collection and merchandise featuring imagery from the film. The story’s reach was significant, with the documentary accumulating 45.8 million viewing hours in its first week and reaching the top 10 on Netflix in 92 countries.

The legacy of the case continues to evolve. Netflix has explored the subject further through a companion podcast and a six-episode series titled Love Con Revenge, released in September 2025. This follow-up tracks one of the original victims as she attempts to expose other scammers. Despite the global exposure, the case remains a stark example of how digital platforms can be exploited to facilitate large-scale financial fraud.

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