Simon Leviev — the Israeli conman exposed in Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler documentary.[Courtesy]
By Kimberly Kalusi
Two women who were defrauded by Simon Leviev — the Israeli conman exposed in Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler documentary — say they are relieved and even celebrated news of his arrest in Georgia.
Leviev, born Shimon Yehuda Hayut, was detained at Batumi airport at the request of Interpol, officials confirmed this week. The 34-year-old became infamous after posing as a wealthy heir on Tinder to trick women into handing him large sums of money, a scam that ran between 2017 and 2019.
Pernilla Sjoholm, one of his best-known victims, said she felt vindicated by the arrest. “I celebrated a bit yesterday. I’m allowed to feel happy because this guy destroyed my life,” she said, adding that she had since rebuilt her life and was now focused on raising awareness about fraud and online abuse.
Norwegian victim Cecilie Fjellhoy described the moment she heard of his capture as “a little celebration” and said she felt “super relieved” that authorities had finally acted, though she was frustrated it had taken so long.
Sjoholm revealed she had lost the equivalent of more than $65,000 to Leviev in 2018, shortly after meeting him on Tinder. She has since filed police complaints in Sweden and the Netherlands and pledged to testify should the case go to trial.
Calling the arrest “a win,” she said: “We need to see fraud as more than just financial loss. It is also emotional abuse.”
Leviev’s case has become one of the world’s most notorious examples of romance fraud and catfishing, sparking debate about online safety and fraud prevention.
