The man the world has come to know as "The Tinder Swindler" wants everyone to know he's not one. Shimon Hayut, better known by his alias Simon Leviev, is the subject of the viral Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler, which documented several women who claimed to have been conned out of thousands of dollars by Hayut after he allegedly presented himself as the heir of an Israeli diamond mogul.
"I want to clear my name. I want to say to the world, 'This is not true,'" Hayut tells Inside Edition TV show in an interview that aired on Monday in the US, his first since the documentary debuted on Netflix on February 2 and became a global hit.
In the documentary, which has been seen by more than 50 million people around the world, Hayut led women he met on Tinder to believe that he was the son of a billionaire diamond businessman. He wooed them with private jets, fancy cars and a champagne lifestyle. Then, once he gained their trust, he would ask the women to part with significant amounts of money, pretending that he was in danger.
The three women featured in the documentary claim to have lent him more than $500,000 combined, which they never saw again.
“I’m not this monster that everybody has created," Hayut tells Inside Edition in a virtual interview, dressed in a Dior shirt. "I was just a single guy that wanted to meet some girls on Tinder.”
When asked if he was the son of billionaire diamond mogul, Hayut says: "No I'm not, and I never presented myself [that way]."
On how he still lives a lavish lifestyle as seen on his Instagram account, he says he's "a legit businessman".
"I bought Bitcoin in 2011 when it was nothing. I don't need to say how much it's worth now."
The Tindler Swindler also included interviews with journalists from Norwegian newspaper VG, whose reporters even travel to Israel to look for Hayut. They discover that Hayut had faced several charges in his country and was sentenced to prison time in Finland for defrauding other women.
He is estimated to have conned people out of more than $10 million.
The film also showed Hayut eventually being arrested in Greece in 2019 after being caught using a fake passport. He was sent back to Israel, where he was jailed on charges unconnected to the events of the Netflix show and served five months in prison after being released early for good behaviour.
The Inside Edition interview also featured Hayut’s girlfriend, model Kate Konlin.
When asked what she thought of the charges by the women in the documentary, Konlin called it "a fake story", and said Hayut had never borrowed money from her.
To those who think he's a fraud and a fake, Hayut insists he's not.
"I'm not a fraud and I'm not a fake, so people cannot judge me," he says.
Since the documentary premiered, Hayut has signed with a talent agent, Gina Rodriguez of Gitoni, and joined the video-sharing platform Cameo, where a personalised video with him is going for $199.
Earlier this month, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Hayut has been banned from Tinder and other dating platforms owned by parent company Match Group including Match.com, OkCupid, Hinge and Plenty of Fish.
A second part of the Inside Edition interview will be aired on Tuesday.
SPECS
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ATP WORLD No 1
2004 Roger Federer
2005 Roger Federer
2006 Roger Federer
2007 Roger Federer
2008 Rafael Nadal
2009 Roger Federer
2010 Rafael Nadal
2011 Novak Djokovic
2012 Novak Djokovic
2013 Rafael Nadal
2014 Novak Djokovic
2015 Novak Djokovic
2016 Andy Murray
2017 Rafael Nadal
2018 Novak Djokovic
2019 Rafael Nadal
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The%20Roundup
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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company%20Profile
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Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIG THREE
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
19 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 5 (2011, 14, 15, 18, 19)
French Open: 2 (2016, 21)
US Open: 3 (2011, 15, 18)
Australian Open: 9 (2008, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
Prize money: $150m
ROGER FEDERER
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 8 (2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12, 17)
French Open: 1 (2009)
US Open: 5 (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Australian Open: 6 (2004, 06, 07, 10, 17, 18)
Prize money: $130m
RAFAEL NADAL
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 10)
French Open: 13 (2005, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
US Open: 4 (2010, 13, 17, 19)
Australian Open: 1 (2009)
Prize money: $125m
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
