Tinder swindler victim: ‘Everything was a lie’

The subject of a new Netflix documentary, Simon Leviev has conned women out of millions – and is still at large...

Tinder swindler man now

by Amber Connolly |
Updated on

When Cecile Fjellhoy matched with Simon Leviev on Tinder in January 2018, he appeared to be the perfect man – good-looking, romantic and very rich. Sweeping Cecile off her feet with lavish dates and trips on his private jet, Simon showered the student with presents, flowers and hotel stays. She believed she’d found true love.

Cecile, then 29, who is originally from Norway, said, “Simon had an aura about him, a real confidence. Dating him was like stepping into a movie. It was a totally different world.”

After searching his name on Google, Cecile thought Simon seemed legitimate. He claimed to be the heir to a diamond company, and on his Instagram were photos of him with billionaire diamond mogul Lev Leviev, who she believed to be his father.

But unbeknown to Cecile, Simon – who was born Shimon Yehuda Hayut and was from Israel – had been lying to her from the very beginning. Rather than being the heir to a diamond company, as he’d told Cecile, he was actually a con artist – and she wasn’t the first woman to have fallen for his tricks.

As new Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler recounts, Simon, 31, had previously conned multiple women out of hundreds of thousands of pounds. While they all believed they were dating a wealthy businessman, he was actually using the cash he’d swindled from previous “girlfriends” as a front.

tinder swindler victim
Cecile was swindled out of 180,000

As part of his scam, Simon told Cecile that due to his work as a philanthropist and investor, he had threats surrounding his security. She said, “He’d got bullets in the mail and funeral flowers had been sent. The security team told him he wasn’t safe in London any more.”

One night, Cecile was woken up by a message from Simon – he’d sent her pictures of his bodyguard, covered in blood. Horrified, Cecile listened as he explained that his “enemies” were after him and were tracking his movements via his credit card. So when Simon asked Cecile to take out a credit card in her name, which he could then use, it seemed like an obvious way to keep him safe.

Cecile felt sure he’d pay her back. “I had no reason not to believe him,” she said. Cecile loved him and they’d discussed their future together. After three months of dating, they agreed to move in together, with Simon telling Cecile to look for houses to rent with a budget of around 11,000. But this was just the start of Simon’s scheming. He quickly maxed out the credit card and asked Cecile to meet him with 25,000 in cash. She said, “I took out a loan and, although I was super-scared having that amount of cash in my bag, the moment I was with him, I felt safe. He was really grateful.”

Only that night, more drama ensued when Simon received a call and claimed there’d been a security breach and that he needed to board a flight immediately. Cecile was terrified for her boyfriend’s safety, and in the weeks that followed, she believed he was travelling around the world, attempting to hide from his enemies. Whenever his money ran out, he’d get Cecile to take out more cards and loans. She said, “It was a pressure that I’ve never experienced before, to have someone’s life dependent on what you’re doing. If I didn’t help him, what might happen?”

READ MORE

Former headmistress: ‘I've slept with 250 men since meeting my fiancé’

Plane crash survivor: ‘I don’t notice my scars – I just see the beauty inside myself’

Mum of conjoined twins: ‘I won’t separate my girls – they’re thriving’

tinder swindler victim
Pernilla gave Simon 22,000 after they became "friends"

In reality, Simon was holidaying in Mykonos, Rome and Vienna. He reserved areas in exclusive clubs, paying for everyone’s drinks, flew on helicopters, drove a Rolls Royce, and stayed in hotels that cost 5,000 a night.

Cecile racked up debts of around 180,000 from nine different creditors – and Simon still hadn’t paid her back. She said, “I told him I just needed some kind of money. That’s when he gave me a cheque.”

But Cecile’s bank refused to accept it – which was when Simon’s lies unravelled. Cecile called the American Express Helpline, and hearing how distressed she was, members of the bank paid her a visit. In her desperation, Cecile showed them a photo of her boyfriend, who they revealed was on their radar as a con man. Cecile said, “He’d faked everything. It was horrible, because in a sense, I still loved him – or the person I thought he was. But everything was a lie.”

Cecile fled to her mum’s house in Norway. She blocked Simon from contacting her, but he left a terrifying message on her mum’s phone, saying, “Take my advice. Watch out. Because with every action there will be a reaction.”

Cecile said, “I felt like I was just drowning. I was driving down this road and I saw this trailer coming towards me and I thought, ‘What if I just take the car over... then at least it’s over’. That’s when I got really scared. I put myself in a psychiatric ward because I didn’t know what to do.”

Check out: the best feel-good films and tv shows on Netflix right now

Gallery

Heat - feel good netflix films and tv slider

feel good netflix film tv1 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Derry Girls

It's very hard not to laugh at this zany Irish comedy. It's got that classic Channel 4 grittiness with a heavy dose of always-amusing accents.

feel good netflix film tv2 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Sex Education

There's something spookily-uplifting about this Netflix original. The stories are top notch and give us all the feels. Plus, there's the hope that sex ed might be better for Gen-Z than it was for us? Maybe?

feel good netflix film tv3 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Legally Blonde

Elle's cheerful confidence and trademark 'bend and snap' move is a recipe for the ultimate mood-lifter (plus we love a happy ending.)

feel good netflix film tv4 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Friends

It's a comforting classic. As the title song says, they'll be there for you if it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year.

feel good netflix film tv5 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

The Vicar of Dibley

This one's a brand new addition to Netflix and we're pretty happy it's been added, tbh. Dawn French's hilarious portrayal of a village's first female vicar is endlessly funny.

feel good netflix film tv6 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Gilmore Girls

There's something so comforting about the town of Stars Hollow, and even during the famed Lorelai-Rory argument of series 6, you know everything's going to be OK in the end.

feel good netflix film tv7 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Matilda

This version of the Roald Dahl childhood classic will always be a feel-good mainstay in our film arsenal.

feel good netflix film tv8 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

If you haven't seen this '80s gem, where have you been? Also we need Sloan's hair. And wardrobe. And sass.

feel good netflix film tv9 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Queer Eye

Makeover shows will forever be super satisfying, and this one comes with the added bonus of genuine on-screen friendship and love.

feel good netflix film tv10 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Gavin and Stacey

Remember those times when we could get in our cars and drive across the country? LOL, us neither. Bring back the memories with this Welsh feel-good series.

feel good netflix film tv11 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

The Pursuit of Happyness

A heartwarming story of father and son involving Will Smith. Enough said.

feel good netflix film tv12 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Saving Mr Banks

Anything involving Tom Hanks already has a big feel-good factor slapped all over it. This one's even better because it involved Emma Thompson and it's about Mary Poppins and Disney.

feel good netflix film tv13 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Groundhog Day

Our lives might feel like Groundhog Day at the moment, but this '90s classic will always have a special place in our heart as the ultimate lockdown watch.

feel good netflix film tv14 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Grace and Frankie

Two women are brought together after their husbands announce they are in love with each other and plan to get married. Is it a weird concept? Sure. But we love it.

feel good netflix film tv15 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Modern Family

This mockumentary family sitcom has finally made its way to Netflix, and it's a total cheer-you-up must watch.

feel good netflix film tv16 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Community

A group of oddballs form a bond while they study at a community college. If you've ever felt like you've suffered a setback in life (urr, everyone) then this one is sure to make you feel way better about it.

feel good netflix film tv17 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Yummy Mummies

If you're in need of a reality TV fix, then this one's for you. It's perfect for fans of The Kardashians or those who like watching rich people do silly things and argue.

feel good netflix film tv18 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Tiny House Nation

An interior design show, but with teeny-tiny houses. Warning - it may make you want to move into a 2ft cabin by the beach.

feel good netflix film tv19 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Shark Tale

Netflix doesn't have a HUGE offering of animated films (this is where Disney+ holds its own), but Shark Tale is one of our favourites. It's got the best feel-good soundtrack, too.

feel good netflix film tv20 of 20
CREDIT: Netflix

Spirited Away

This Japanese fantasy film is a soothing animated classic that'll have you reaching more more Studio Ghibli films within the hour.

tinder swindler victim
Conman Simon made out he was a wealthy heir

With Cecile no longer funding Simon’s lavish lifestyle, he turned to another woman he’d met on Tinder, former sales employee Pernilla Sjoholm. Although there was no romantic connection between the pair, they became friends. Sending her the same battered pictures of his bodyguard and saying he was in danger, he asked for 22,000. Pernilla said, “I had my savings that were going to go towards buying myself a new apartment, but what is more important? My friend’s security situation or me buying a new apartment? I made a bank transfer.” She says she thought she was helping out a friend and had no reason to believe she was being lied to.

Meanwhile, in the psychiatric ward, Cecile was desperate for answers. She contacted American Express again, who told her to Google Shimon Yehuda Hayut. It was then she found an article about a man who had scammed women in Finland in 2015. Cecile said, “I had to stop him.”

Cecile approached VG – the biggest newspaper in Norway – and they agreed to take on her story. After examining Cecile’s bank statements, the journalists noticed flight tickets that had been booked for Pernilla, so they got in touch with her, explaining she’d been scammed. Pernilla said, “I panicked, I thought I was going to pass out. I couldn’t believe the person I thought I knew could do such a thing. It was like a friend had died.”

tinder swindler victim
He travelled on private jets funded by his deception

In February 2019, the newspaper published an article about Simon called “The Tinder Swindler” and victims across the world got in touch. With enough evidence, in July 2019, Simon was found guilty of theft and fraud, and in the December was sentenced to 15 months in prison for the crimes he committed in Israel. But shockingly, he was released after just five months.

Now, he is still active on Instagram and appears to still be living a life of luxury. With his new model girlfriend by his side, he happily shows off new purchases, including sports cars. Meanwhile, the women he defrauded are still paying off their debts and have set up a GoFundMe page to help cover their debts. In total, it’s estimated he swindled almost 8m from victims across the world. Cecile said, “People say I was stupid, but I truly believed he was in danger. The pressure I was under cannot be described.”

And the new Netflix documentary aims to bring the truth to light. Director Felicity Morris said, “I hope that this film exposes him on a whole new level and acts as a reckoning for him and any others like him.”

WATCH: Ferne McCann on breaking up with her ex-boyfriend and her heartbreak plan | First Time Mum Secrets

The Tinder Swindler is on Netflix now

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us
xxfseo.com