‘Tinder Swindler’ Simon Leviev Placed in Extradition Custody in Georgia
Simon Leviev, an Israeli national born Shimon Hayut and widely known as the “Tinder Swindler,” has been placed in extradition custody by Batumi City Court, local media outlet Batumelebi reported on September 17, two days after Georgia’s Interior Ministry confirmed his arrest on an Interpol red notice at Batumi Airport. The ruling was reportedly handed down by Judge Nino Sakhelashvili.
Leviev, 34, accused of swindling money from women he met online and the subject of the Netflix documentary “The Tinder Swindler,” was detained in Georgia at Germany’s request over allegations that he defrauded a woman in Berlin, the New York Times reported, citing his lawyer.
According to the New York Times, Leviev will be held for three months or until Germany seeks his extradition. His lawyer, Sagiv Rotenberg, said Leviev is appealing his detention in Georgia while also moving to have the German case dismissed.
German prosecutors accuse him of stealing nearly EUR 44,000 from the woman between 2017 and 2019 and incurring thousands more in expenses on a credit card and phone contract in her name. The woman also reportedly paid about EUR 9,000 for his hotel and flight in the Cayman Islands after he claimed his credit card was blocked and never repaid her.
Leviev has denied the allegations. His lawyer says he is being held in “extremely harsh conditions of detention without proper nutrition and in handcuffs most of the time.”
This is not his first arrest. He was detained in Greece in 2019 and extradited to Israel, where he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for fraud-related offenses. He was released early under COVID-19 measures, a decision that drew criticism from alleged victims.
Also Read:
- 26/08/2025 – Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir Visits Georgia
- 09/01/2024 – Individual Wanted on Interpol Red Notice Extradited from Georgia to USA
- 03/11/2023 – Police Works with U.S. to Track, Detain American Fugitive
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