SWIPING LEFT

‘Tinder Swindler’ Suspect Arrested at Airport on Interpol Red Notice

Simon Leviev was detained as he landed in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

Notorious “Tinder Swindler” Simon Leviev has been arrested in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Leviev, whose real name is Shimon Yehuda Hayut, was taken into custody at Batumi International Airport on the Black Sea, according to Georgian officials and his attorney. The Georgian Interior Ministry said Leviev was detained on an Interpol Red Notice after crossing into the country. A lawyer for Leviev said it was unclear why he had been held. “I spoke with him this morning after he was detained, but we don’t yet understand the reason. He has been traveling freely around the world,” the attorney told Israeli outlet Walla. Leviev became infamous after the 2022 Netflix documentary Tinder Swindler detailed how he lured women on the dating app by pretending to be the son of Russian diamond tycoon Lev Leviev, flaunting private jets and luxury hotels. He convinced victims to send him vast sums of money, often claiming he was in danger. The film alleged Leviev swindled $10 million from at least a dozen women worldwide. He was banned from major dating platforms after its release.