The real Leviev family has launched a lawsuit against Simon Leviev, the notorious "Tindler Swindler" featured in the Netflix documentary film that exposed his modus for scamming women on the dating app.
Guy Ophir, the lawyer for the billionaire family, confirmed in a statement that the lawsuit is just the start. His clients, led by patriarch Lev Leviev, will also go after those capitalizing on their prestigious name in the diamond trade. The "Tinder Swinder" claimed that he was the son of the diamond magnate, but his real name was Shimon Hayut.
According to NBC News, the Leviev family filed the lawsuit in Tel Aviv, where Hayut is currently based. Chagit Leviev, the real daughter of the diamond magnate, also said that they would ensure Hayut will get "the sentence he deserves" for exploiting their family's good name in his con.
Impersonation, Misrepresentation, and Trademark Breach
Documents obtained from the lawsuit cited that Hayut took photos of Lev and Ayelet Leviev to photoshop his image in the shot. He then used the fixed photo to present himself as a member of the billionaire family to mislead his victims, mostly women who fall for his "generosity" and his high-class lifestyle.
The family is also going after Hayut for defamation, trademark breach, and invasion of privacy. They condemned Hatyu for his "despicable actions" that brought shame and humiliation to the family name.
As presented in the Netflix documentary that launched on the streaming platform on Feb. 2, 2022, Hayut convinced women to open credit cards or take out bank loans for him under the pretense that he could not do it himself because his life was at risk. Since his "family" is in the diamond trade, Hayut told his victims that he has many enemies worldwide.
The documentary implied that Hayut was involved in a Ponzi scheme and his girlfriends had no idea they were taken for a ride. Three of the women he fooled on Tinder detailed how they were scammed in the Netflix film, but there are allegedly more victims, including the woman who is supposed to be the mother of Hayut's only child.
"I'm Not a Monster"
In 2019, Hayut was convicted to 15 months in prison for forgery, fraud, and theft, but he was released after five months. However, he has not yet been tried in court for impersonating the Leviev family until this lawsuit, yet his representatives said he is confident this case will be dropped.
Hayut also defended how he was portrayed in the Netflix documentary. He said he's just a regular single guy who wants to meet women on the Tinder dating app. He insisted that he was not the monster that the show and its viewers created.
The "Tinder Swindler" also denied being a con-man and said that the viewers should not judge him because they personally do not know him. Despite his legal troubles and his ban from all dating apps, Hayut is set to work in a dating show. He's also dating a model from Israel.
