The Tinder Swindler is a Netflix film about a man posing as a wealthy businessman who conned women out of millions of dollars. However, the film follows a group of women who attempt to hunt down the swindler and get their money back.
The film depicts a typical romance scam. A scammer creates a bogus online profile on apps like Tinder, Bumble and Facebook with one goal—to gain a victim’s affection and trust. Eventually, the scammer asks for money for an invented emergency.
Scammers might persuade a victim to send them money, disclose banking details, or purchase items for them online. The US intelligence agency reported in 2020 that romance scams stole $281 million from unsuspecting victims. And in 2021, that number rose to a staggering $547 million.
The Tinder Swindler is about the story of Cecilie Fjellhoy, Pernilla Sjoholm, and Ayleen Charlotte, all conned by Shimon Hayut. Combined, Hayut conned over $240,000 out of the women.
The prince of diamonds
Hayut, 31, who used the alias Simon Leviev, pretended to be a billionaire and the son of Russian-Israeli diamond mogul Lev Leviev. More, he called himself “the prince of diamonds.”
He conned women by allegedly sending pictures of himself driving in fancy high-end cars and wearing designer clothes.
How to avoid The Tinder Swindler
If you want to avoid any Tinder Swindler:
To begin with, trace unknown numbers. Online websites make it easy to trace unknown numbers. You can verify if the person is genuine.
The second is the scammer in a hurry? Under pressure, we make quick decisions. For example, we might decide to give the scammer money.
Third, the person says they live or work in another country. Scammers claim they are in another part of the world. Face-to-face meetings are impossible.
Fourth, stop feeling ashamed. Speak with a trusted friend or family member.
Contact the Fraud Reporting System (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre) or call toll-free at 1-888-495-8501. You can file a misleading or deceptive marketing report using the online complaint form with the Competition Bureau.
