Simon Leviev Is Out of Prison and Is Reportedly Now a “Real Estate Expert”
Hello, welcome everyone who’s been vaguely traumatized by Netflix’s documentary The Tinder Swindler and is anxiously wondering where its subject Simon Leviev (aka Shimon Hayut) is now. As we learned at the end of the documentary, Simon—who ran a Ponzi scheme in which he conned Tinder matches out of money by pretending he was a wealthy diamond heir in constant danger—was arrested in 2019. However, according to the Times of Israel, he only served five months of a 15-month sentence in jail. So, where is he now?
Simon Currently Lives in Israel
The Times of Israel reports that he lived in Bnei Brak as recently as December 2020, so presumably, he stuck around after getting out of jail.
Note: At the time of his arrest in Greece and extradition to Israel, Simon denied allegations against him to Channel 12 news. “I have the right to choose whatever name I want. I never presented myself as the son of anyone, but people use their imaginations,” he said. “Maybe their hearts were broken during the process…I never took a dime from them; these women enjoyed themselves in my company; they traveled and got to see the world on my dime.”
He’s Been Banned From Tinder
Tinder went ahead and released a statement to Variety confirming as much. Ahem:
“We have conducted internal investigations and can confirm Simon Leviev is no longer active on Tinder under any of his known aliases."
Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that just one day before The Tinder Swindler dropped, Tinder published new guidelines on “Romance Scams: How to Protect Yourself Online.”
He Has Denied Allegations in The Tinder Swindler
Before deactivating his Instagram account, Simon reportedly wrote the following note to his followers:
“Thank you for all your support. I will share my side of the story in the next few days when I have sorted out the best and most respectful way to tell it, both to the involved parties and myself. Until then, please keep an open mind and heart.”
He Allegedly Posed as a Paramedic to Get a Vaccine
Wondering what Simon’s been up to since getting out of jail? Welp, he allegedly posed as a medical professional in order to get early access to the Covid-19 vaccine. The Times of Israel reported on this in 2020, claiming Simon was initially denied vaccination because he didn’t qualify, but then “after hanging around the entrance, he noticed a group of medical workers who arrived to get their shots” and tagged along with them.
The health organization Clalit released this statement:
“The person was vaccinated after he presented himself as a medical worker. As soon as it became clear that it was an impersonation, we began to investigate the incident, including refreshing instructions on the matter. It is regrettable that there are people who are harming the trust shown by staff and we condemn this act.”
But Simon denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations a “lie” and saying, “I am not someone who waits in line or at places. With all due respect, I will not sit and wait 3 to 4 hours. I am not someone who waits and no one can say a word about it.”
He also declared, “I am a businessman. I have money. I can buy anyone or anything that I want,” and when asked if he had paid to be vaccinated, he said, “Let’s say yes. I had an appointment [to be vaccinated], perhaps there was a bug in the computer. This is a third world country, after all.”
He’s Now a “Real Estate Expert”
Vents Magazine published a piece declaring that Simon is a “real estate expert” now, describing him as a “millionaire of repute.”
Got it.
Anyway, TBD what Simon will get up to next, but hopefully, his plans don’t end in another Netflix doc about him.
You Might Also Like
