How Simon Leviev Became A Master Millionaire Conman

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Shimon Yehuda Hayut, alias 'Simon Leviev', is an Israli con man convicted of theft, forgery and fraud. As stated by 'The Times Of Israel', Hayut has reportedly duped several women across Europe of a combined $10 million in an elaborate 'Ponzi Scheme'. The opportunistic trickster would come under the radar of several crime investigation agencies across the globe after his actions were brought to the public's view through the publication of a news article titled, 'The Tinder Swindler' derived by the sincere efforts of journalists from the Norwegian tabloid, 'Verdens Gang'.

Hayut's heinous financial crimes would go unnoticed through the initial part of his criminal career. However, with several women across Europe detailing their personal life-altering experiences involving trickery and monetary degradation, Simon's actions as an affluent businessman would begin to come under the scanner on a global scale. With three of his victims' unrelenting efforts and clever decision-making abilities, Hayut's days as a master con artist were numbered.

An Elaborate Modus Operandi

Shimon Yehuda Hayut's plan of action to dupe women of their finances involved meticulous attention to detail. The master con man projected an affluent lifestyle on the trendy dating application 'Tinder' and would credit his debonair personality to his wealthy family background to gain the trust of his next victim.

Hayut's bogus family history detailed his connection to billionaire diamond mogul Lev Leviev. Upon inquiry to establish the legitimacy of Hayut's upbringing, victims would often assure themselves through 'Google' searches that featured the career trajectory and immense wealth garnered by Lev Leviev over the years.

With a variety of articles detailing Lev's dominance in the diamond industry as well as Hayut's mock-up of an extravagant lifestyle involving romantic gestures, an unsuspecting woman looking for a potential life partner was now in the unforgiving clutches of the mastermind fraudster known to the world as 'Simon Leviev'.

The Commencement Of A Notorious Scheme

Simon's extravagant lifestyle featured luxury cars, private jet trips, fine dining, and entry into some of the world's most exclusive parties. Leviev would involve his potential victim into this affluent way of life for a month or two to further establish credibility, and the unsuspecting trust factor that followed would only prove as a bonus to take his devious scheme to the next level.

Simon would then execute the next step of his elaborate plan of deceit and fraud. Leviev would accentuate his importance as the heir of his hypothetical father's immense fortune, with his dubious story detailing the several risks of competition in the diamond industry.

These risks would feature a threat to the personal well-being of Simon, his financial consultants as well as his bodyguard. Leviev would send images of the aftermath of a phony physical brawl that would feature Simon's bodyguard in an injured state, with the resulting concern factor by his victims acting as the perfect set-up for the complete execution of his master plan.

A Ponzi Scheme In Full-Effect

With his victims in a complete state of shock and concern, Simon would begin his financial cry for help. Leviev would elaborate to his victims the dangers of using his personal credit cards for fear of his 'enemies' tracing his whereabouts.

Simon would then proceed to ask for monetary favors from his victims with the assurance of a prompt payback. This step would involve his unsuspecting victims wiring him money through their accounts or even cold hard cash, with the idea behind this process detailing the lack of traceability of any transactions made to Leviev.

With his victims trapped in a dubious bubble of false promises and romantic gestures, Leviev would continuously demand unreasonable sums of money ranging up to $50,000. Victims would often resort to acquiring loans and even purchasing high-limit credit cards to meet the recurring financial demands of Simon.

Simon would use this money to nurture his mock-up of an extravagant lifestyle and would begin the hunt for his next unwary victim looking for companionship on the 'Tinder' application.

With the Ponzi scheme in full effect, Simon's victims were promised false paybacks and bogus bank transfers receipts detailing the return of a higher amount than what was given to him. In reality, the victim in question would have amassed a substantial debt by this time, with the inevitable financial burden involving pressure from creditors from banks plaguing their everyday lifestyle.

The Aftermath Of His Sham

Simon's viciousness when it comes to his greedy outlook on life would impact the lives of several unsuspecting women. All-in-all, Leviev has conned women of an estimated $10 million from several different locations, including Milan, Amsterdam, and even Sweden, to name a few.

Simon's financial trickery would go unpunished for several years. However, through the combined efforts of three of his victims possessing unity and a steady plan of action, his deceitful scheme would finally be exposed to the world. Simon would make headlines across the globe via the strong presence of social media and the lasting impact of impartial journalism in several countries.

The buzz surrounding the master con-man would impact his way of life significantly. Simon was now on the wanted list of the International Crime Police Organization, Interpol in seven different countries, with the negative publicity garnered by Leviev proving fatal for his line of work.

The fraudster would also be featured on the Netflix documentary special, 'The Tinder Swindler'. The show would detail the individual experiences of three of Simon's victims, with their unfortunate encounter with the con man leading them to a life of debt and personal struggles.

Shimon Yehuda Hayut is undeniably one of the most vicious con artists in existence. His unrelenting desire to make it big in the world led him to a hateful path of crime and deceit, with his actions destroying the lives of several unsuspecting women in the process. The world of social media and dating applications, in general, serves as a perfect medium for cybercriminals to lay their web of deceit, and Hayut takes the baton as one of the most opportunistic fraudsters on a global scale. Hayut's false premise of extravagance details romance, lust, and an impactful breach of trust that serves as a statutory warning to anyone trying their hand at dating applications. The 'Tinder Swindler' has undeniably made it big, but for all the wrong reasons.

Sources: Digital Spy, Hello Magazine, Screen Rant