THE “Tinder Swindler” Simon Leviev is reportedly looking to convert his newfound infamy into a Hollywood career. The bogus diamond trader, 31, has reportedly signed a talent agent and wishes to appear in a dating show where women fight for him. He also wants to write a book and to host a dating podcast, sources […]
THE “Tinder Swindler” Simon Leviev is reportedly looking to convert his newfound infamy into a Hollywood career.
The bogus diamond trader, 31, has reportedly signed a talent agent and wishes to appear in a dating show where women fight for him.
He also wants to write a book and to host a dating podcast, sources reportedly told TMZ.
Sources added that the potential podcast would include Leviev’s dating dos and don’ts.
Leviev is working with Gina Rodriguez with Gitoni Inc, TMZ added, in the hopes of turning his new fame into an entertainment career, and profit from the Netflix show about his exploits.
The “Tinder Swindler” was born Shimon Hayut but changed his name to Simon Leviev, then styled himself The Prince of Diamonds.
His cruel two-year dating scam has been turned into a hit Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler released earlier this month.
It featured three alleged victims of Leviev who claim they are speaking out to protect other women.
Victims believed he was the son of Russian-Israeli gem tycoon Lev Leviev, dubbed The King of Diamonds, but in fact, they are not related.
His Tinder profile claimed he was a diamond merchant who traveled the globe, but it was all fantasy.
The money he lavished on dates with his victims – including chauffeur-driven cars and trips on private jets – was all conned from other women.
Once he had victims under his spell, the documentary claims, he would pretend he was in danger, or that his powerful enemies had frozen his bank accounts.
He would also claim that enemies had attacked his bodyguard, Piotr.
Victims then sent him their savings or took out huge credit card loans to get him out of trouble.
One victim, Cecilie Fjellhøy said she ended up in a psychiatric ward after he conned her out of $185,000 in a matter of weeks.
Another victim, Swedish business owner Pernilla Sjöholm, had just split from her fiance when she fell for the fraudster.
She parted with significant amounts of cash, and only found out when she was contacted by journalists investigating him.
Leviev was eventually arrested in 2019 after allegedly swindling $10million from his victims since 2017.
Yet he also claims that the new Netflix show has gotten him all wrong, sources told TMZ.
The alleged fraudster now hopes to redeem his image through his new entertainment industry ventures.
Leviev was a wanted man across multiple European countries by the time of his arrest.
He had been on the run since 2011 when he fled Israel to avoid fraud charges from his early 20s.
When he fled Israel he moved to Finland, where he began the Tinder scheme featured in the documentary.
Leviev served two years in a Finnish prison previously and was released in 2017.
He briefly returned to Israel but escaped before he could be captured.
His use of a fake passport in Greece saw him extradited to Israel in 2019 where he faced charges for fraud, theft, and forgery.
The Tinder scheme was not included in his charges or any other alleged crimes outside of Israel.
He was sentenced to 15 months in prison but only served five months in the end, after being released for good behavior.
Leviev lives in Israel as a free man and is rumored to be dating Israeli model, Kate Konlin.
He also reportedly continues to flaunt a glamorous life on social media.
Leviev posts photos of helicopters, expensive dinners, and other snaps boasting a lavish lifestyle.
The alleged victims who spoke out in the documentary have said they are still paying off their debts.
One woman Ayleen Charlotte said how she sold some of his designer clothes to attempt to claw back some money.
The shameless convicted conman recently posted a defense of himself and criticized the women he scammed.
“If I was a fraud why would I act on Netflix I mean they should have arrested me when we were still shooting,” he wrote.
“It’s high time the ladies start saying the truth. If you can’t give them the world they’ll turn yours to hell.”
Tinder has said that Simon Leviev is not on their app under any known alias.
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