Global Manhunt: This is the Country Behind "Tinder Swindler's" Arrest
Interpol has issued a "red notice" for the arrest of Simon Leviev, following a request from German authorities for a fraud case involving nearly €33,000 from a Berlin resident.
The German Ministry of Justice and Interpol are demanding the arrest of Shimon Yehuda Hayut, widely known as Simon Leviev from the viral documentary "The Tinder Swindler." The reason for the international arrest notice has now been revealed: he is wanted for allegedly swindling a Berlin resident of approximately €33,000. The formal request from German authorities, submitted to Interpol, outlines a series of alleged fraudulent acts that took place between 2017 and 2019.
According to prosecutors, Leviev, also known as the "Tinder Swindler," is accused of deceiving a woman, identified as "V," into giving him access to her credit card. He allegedly fabricated a story claiming his own credit card was blocked because it was "linked" to hers. Leviev told the victim he was stranded in the Cayman Islands and needed help paying for his hotel and flights.
Believing he was in an emergency, the victim transferred nearly €9,000 from her account as he requested. German authorities claim that Leviev's credit card was never blocked and that he never returned a single euro to the victim. Beyond the large financial fraud, Leviev is also accused of convincing the victim to open a mobile phone contract and acquire a SIM card in her name, leaving her with an open debt of about €2,000.
In its request for the arrest, the German Ministry of Justice asserted that Leviev "acted with the intent to deceive and to obtain a continuous source of income through fraud." The issuance of the "red notice" by Interpol, an international warrant for his arrest, is a significant step, though it remains unclear why German authorities chose this path instead of cooperating directly with Israeli law enforcement.