Tinder Swindler swindled! Israeli man who posed as heir to con women is scammed out of $7k


The notorious ‘Tinder Swindler’ has himself been bamboozled by a pair of tricksters who conned him into forking OUT more than $7,000 by claiming they could have his Instagram account verified. 

Shimon Heyada Hayut, 31, became infamous this year with the release of a Netflix docuseries featuring victims he financially ruined while claiming to be the son of billionaire diamond magnate Lev Leviev.

The alleged conman – who goes by the name Simon Leviev – reportedly pretended to be the mogul’s son on the dating app to dupe multiple women worldwide of nearly $10million.

Hayut, who has maintained his innocence, now appears to be fashioning himself as an Instagram influencer by sharing images of a purported glamorous life that includes high-end fashions, jet setting, and fancy sports cars.

He was approached last week by a verified Instagram personality named Richnana who said she could help him and his girlfriend, Kate Konlin, become legitimized with a blue checkmark. The Instagram scammer also offered to remove fake profiles set up by people posing as Hayut. 

Richnana claimed her boyfriend worked at Instagram’s parent company, Meta, and that he could help them for a price – which Hayut paid, only to realize he’d been conned, sources told DailyMail.com.

Shimon Heyada Hayut, 31, became infamous with the release of Netflix docuseries Tinder Swindler, which featured allegations he scammed women he met through the app out of millions by claiming to be the heir to an Israeli diamond dynasty named Simon Leviev

Shimon Heyada Hayut, 31, became infamous with the release of Netflix docuseries Tinder Swindler, which featured allegations he scammed women he met through the app out of millions by claiming to be the heir to an Israeli diamond dynasty named Simon Leviev

He's now dating model Kate Konlin after allegedly courting and ghosting a string of other women who've accused him of leaving them in financial ruin

He’s now dating model Kate Konlin after allegedly courting and ghosting a string of other women who’ve accused him of leaving them in financial ruin

The duo who tricked Hayut convinced him they were the real deal by speaking with him via Facebook and claiming they were phoning from Meta’s headquarters, sources said. They staged the call from a busy office setting where people could be seen passing through in the background.

They successfully convinced Hayut to PayPal him thousands to verify his account, and his girlfriend’s page.

But when his manager became aware of the scheme, she became skeptical and contacted Meta, which confirmed that they don’t charge for blue badge status.   

The woman, who went by the moniker richnana, who reached out to Hayut disappeared after the money sent, sources said.

Her boyfriend, named ‘Chris Fox’, was tasked with brokering the deal. In message exchanges, he promised to verify the accounts for $5,000 total although PayPal payment grabs obtained by TMZ showed about $7,000 EU, or $7,700 US, was sent.

A person using an Instagram account called 'richnana' reached out to Hayut and offered to help verify his Instagram account, as well as his girlfriend's, for a price

A person using an Instagram account called ‘richnana’ reached out to Hayut and offered to help verify his Instagram account, as well as his girlfriend’s, for a price

Her boyfriend, named 'Chris Fox', was tasked with brokering the deal. In message exchanges, he promised to verify the accounts for $5,000 total although PayPal payment grabs obtained by TMZ showed about $7,000 EU, or $7,700 US, was sent

Her boyfriend, named ‘Chris Fox’, was tasked with brokering the deal. In message exchanges, he promised to verify the accounts for $5,000 total although PayPal payment grabs obtained by TMZ showed about $7,000 EU, or $7,700 US, was sent

Fox said that he would start working  to verify the accounts ‘immediately’ upon receiving payment.

In a strange twist, Hayut’s Instagram account has since been legitimately verified by the social network.

The Instagram scammers might have sought to avenge Hayut for the crimes he’s accused of committing against women, including Pernilla Sjoholm and Cecilie Fjellhøy, who’ve gone public with their stories.

While falsely claiming to be a billionaire’s son, Hayut would allegedly dazzle his victims with his apparently luxurious lifestyle of private jets, designer clothes and five-star hotels – before tricking them into giving him eye-watering sums.

Pernilla Sjoholm (left) and Cecilie Fjellhøy (right) are among the women who've gone public with claims Hayut duped them out of money while claiming to be a jet setting rich boy

Pernilla Sjoholm (left) and Cecilie Fjellhøy (right) are among the women who’ve gone public with claims Hayut duped them out of money while claiming to be a jet setting rich boy

He's now dating Konlin, a stunning 24-year-old Israeli-Ukrainian model

He’s now dating Konlin, a stunning 24-year-old Israeli-Ukrainian model

In a twisted Ponzi scheme, he would use the cash he stole from them to lure in his next target, lavishing them too with trips abroad, and with hundreds of red roses and tables in VIP clubs.

He left his victims with suicidal feelings, crippling bank debts and the agony and humiliation of discovering their relationship with him was a sham.

Hayut was arrested for fraud in 2019 after a victim who had become wise to his tricks reported him to Interpol for using a fake passport in Greece.

He was released the following May, after serving five months of his 15-month sentence.

Hayut was arrested for fraud in 2019 after a victim who had become wise to his tricks reported him to Interpol for using a fake passport in Greece

Hayut was arrested for fraud in 2019 after a victim who had become wise to his tricks reported him to Interpol for using a fake passport in Greece

Hayut has denied all allegations against him, claiming he is ‘not a fraud and not a fake’ but instead a ‘legitimate businessman’ who made his fortune by investing in Bitcoin.

In an interview on CBS’ Inside Edition, he insisted this week: ‘I’m not this monster. I was just a single guy that wanted to meet some girls on Tinder.’

In the interview, he kissed his current girlfriend Konlin, an Israeli-Ukrainian model, for the cameras as she accused his victims of creating a ‘fake story’.

Konlin, 24, however, is standing by her beau despite the recent release of a Netflix documentary chronicling his underhanded exploits, The Tinder Swindler, now seen by more than 50 million people worldwide.

And Hayut is now facing more legal troubles after the real Leviev famil filed a lawsuit against him in Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court.  

In an interview on CBS' Inside Edition, he insisted: 'I'm not this monster. I was just a single guy that wanted to meet some girls on Tinder'

In an interview on CBS’ Inside Edition, he insisted: ‘I’m not this monster. I was just a single guy that wanted to meet some girls on Tinder’

The 'malice defamation' suit was filed Monday in Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court in Israel on behalf of Israeli mogul Lev Leviev, 65, a billionaire diamond magnate

The ‘malice defamation’ suit was filed Monday in Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court in Israel on behalf of Israeli mogul Lev Leviev, 65, a billionaire diamond magnate

The real Leviev’s lawyer, Guy Ophir, told TMZ Monday that the filing is just the first step in an ‘all-out legal war’ the family’s waged against Hayut as well as anyone who aided in his schemes. 

Ophir said the family wants justice to be served for the ‘malice’ brought against the Leviev name, the outlet reported Monday afternoon.

According to TMZ, the filing describes in detail the ways in which Hayut allegedly took advantage of the family, including changing his name to give the appearance of wealth and luring women with private jets, yachts and fancy cars, telling them he was the son of the renowned billionaire.

‘He is a crook and deceiver who changed his name for criminal purposes, while identifying that he is a member of the Leviev family and taking the reputation of the complainants,’ a translated portion of the suit reads, according to Rolling Stone.

Ophir said in a statement Monday that the suit was the first ‘in a series of legal proceedings that the Leviev family has instructed me to take against this crook and his accomplices.’



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