Simon Leviev, an Israeli national born Shimon Hayut and widely known as the “Tinder Swindler,” was detained at Batumi Airport on an Interpol red notice, Georgia’s Interior Ministry confirmed to Civil.ge on September 15.
Leviev gained international notoriety after the 2022 Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler, which alleged that he posed as the heir to a wealthy diamond family and defrauded women he met on the popular dating app Tinder. Victims accused him of extracting millions of dollars through elaborate scams, while he falsely presented himself as related to Russian-Israeli diamond tycoon Lev Leviev. Leviev has denied the allegations.
The Ministry did not provide further details about the grounds of detention. Israeli media cited Leviev’s lawyer as saying the grounds are unclear, and that Leviev had traveled “freely around the world.”
Leviev was arrested in Greece in 2019 and extradited to Israel, where he received a 15-month prison sentence for fraud-related offenses. He was released early due to COVID-19 measures, a decision that drew condemnation from his 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
This post is also available in: ქართული