With shows like Apple TV+ drama The Shrink Next Door and Netflix’s upcoming series Inventing Anna generating so much buzz, viewers clearly can’t get enough of series about real-life fraudsters – and so Netflix’s latest documentary offering is likely to prove popular.
Premiering on the platform in February is The Tinder Swindler – a one-off documentary about a prolific conman who posed as a billionaire bachelor on the titular dating app to dupe women across Europe out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In the film’s trailer, we watch as several victims of Shimon Hayut, who was arrested for his crimes in 2019, tell each of their stories and how they ultimately decided to join together to seek revenge.
Read on for everything you need to know about The Tinder Swindler ahead of its Netflix release.
The Tinder Swindler release date
The Tinder Swindler arrives on Netflix on Wednesday 2nd February.
From the producers of The Imposter and Don’t F**k with Cats, The Tinder Swindler is a one-off film with a runtime of 113 minutes.
THE TINDER SWINDLER
— Netflix (@netflix) September 23, 2021
You’ll never “swipe right” the same again after watching this new film premiering in February 2022 that tells the jaw-dropping story of a prolific conman who posed as a billionaire playboy on Tinder, and the women who set out to bring him down. pic.twitter.com/NCVfGkIhBN
What is The Tinder Swindler about?
The Tinder Swindler is a documentary about conman Shimon Hayut, who was arrested in 2019 for posing as a billionaire playboy on dating app Tinder and defrauding women out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The film tells the story of the prolific criminal and the women who set out to bring him down, including Cecilie Fjellhoy, who met Hayut on the dating app and, after being duped by him, wanted revenge.
“Cecilie discovers his other targets and once they band together, they’re victims no more: The Tinder Swindler meets his match,” Netflix teased.
Who is The Tinder Swindler – Shimon Hayut?
The titular Tinder Swindler in this documentary is Shimon Hayut – an Israeli fraudster who posed as a wealthy Russian oligarch named Simon Leviev on the dating app and managed to con his dates out of huge amounts of money.
In 2017, Hayut fled to Israel to avoid facing trial for a number of fraud-related offences and travelled around Europe for two years, during which time he posed as the son of diamond mogul Lev Leviev, using Tinder to date women and trick them into loaning him money.
While he would initially woo his dates in countries such as Norway, Finland and Sweden with expensive gifts, trips of private jets and luxurious hotel stays, he would then ask to borrow money after saying he had some security concerns.
In December 2019, Hayut was ordered to pay $43,289 in compensation to his victims and was sentenced to 15 months in prison for fraud – however, he only spent five months in jail.
The Tinder Swindler trailer
Netflix released a trailer for The Tinder Swindler in January, teasing interviews to come with some of the women Hayut had duped out of sums like $20,000, $30,000 and even $140,000 in one case.
The Tinder Swindler arrives on Netflix on Wednesday 2nd February. Find something to watch with our TV Guide.