Simon Leviev, known as the ‘Tinder Swindler’, has been arrested in Georgia after being sought by Interpol for fraud.
The Israeli national scammed over $10 million from women by impersonating the son of a billionaire diamond magnate. Leviev’s arrest follows an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol, as confirmed by the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs. His criminal history includes prior imprisonment in Finland and Israel for forgery, theft, and babysitting-related offenses. The court has ordered him to pay several victims, including $124,000 to Kate Conlin, for financial damages resulting from his schemes. Leviev’s legal team remains silent on the cause of his arrest, with his attorney noting that he had been traveling freely before the detention.
Using a fake identity, Leviev lured women by showcasing a lavish lifestyle on Tinder, filled with private jets and luxury yachts, convincing them that he was a wealthy heir. Once trust was established, he persuaded them to lend him large sums of money under false pretenses and never repaid them. His actions were exposed in a 2,000-hour documentary titled ‘The Tinder Swindler’, which detailed his elaborate deception and the emotional toll it took on his victims.
Among the new lawsuits filed against Leviev is a claim from Iren Tranov for 414,000 shekels ($123,500), as well as a lawsuit from the Leviev family for reputational damage. The court in Tel Aviv also ordered him to pay 415,000 shekels ($124,000) to one of his victims, Kate Conlin, following a lawsuit that alleged Leviev threatened her and forced her to take out loans in several banks in her name but failed to repay the money.
The arrest of Leviev underscores the increasing scrutiny on online dating platforms, which have become breeding grounds for scams and predatory behavior. In response to the case, dating app companies have issued warnings to users about the risks of meeting strangers online and the importance of verifying identities before engaging in financial transactions.
As the legal proceedings continue, the victims and the Leviev family await further developments in the case, which has already had a significant impact on the reputation of the Leviev name and the trust of women in online dating spaces.