On Feb. 2, 2022, Netflix released a new true-crime documentary outlining the man who is claimed to have scammed dozens of women for approximately $10 million after matching with them on Tinder. 

Shimon Hayut, known as “Simon Leviev,” posed as the billionaire son of a Russian-Israeli diamond mogul. Shortly after virtually meeting the women he matched with, Hayut flew them out on private jets to luxury hotels around the world and professed his love to them, then demanded they send him money. The women in the documentary describe the unbelievable events as if they were in a movie; one even described it as if she was in a horror movie. It did not take too long to realize the man posing as the son of a billionaire was not the wealthy, charming suitor he made himself out to be. In reality, “Simon Leviev” was not his real name, and the man they had met was a convicted con-man whose real name was Shimon Hayut. 

The documentary begins with Cecilie, who claims to be a “Tinder expert” after her numerous matches and dates using the app. After she matches with Hayut he soon reels her into his life using extravagant bouquets of flowers, trips on his private jet, texts and calls every day, and even asking her to move in with him. She accepts, having no idea what she has gotten herself into. One night Hayut sends her pictures and videos of his bodyguard who seems to have a bloody wound on his head. This was easily explained by Hayut, who detailed how dangerous the diamond industry is and how there have been threats against him for a while. All of a sudden Hayut claims to be unable to access his finances due to the threats and danger he is in.

Along comes Pernilla, a Swedish woman who also matches with Hayut, and spends her summer traveling around the luxurious parts of Europe with him and his then-girlfriend. Pernilla eventually gets dragged into the same cycle of threats that result in Hayut’s inability to reach his finances. By the time Pernilla was introduced, Cecilie had been taking out loans, giving him hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and increasing the spending limits on her cards so that Hayut could afford his travels. When Hayut fails to pay the money back to Cecilie, she turns to the authorities and his true identity is revealed. 

“The Tinder Swindler” goes through each layer of the story, from the women who have matched with him to his criminal past and how he became the successful con artist he is. Every minute of the documentary uncovers a new unexpected fact about Hayut, and it will leave you questioning how one can ever trust someone online.