Source: urbazon/Getty Images / Getty
Woman Says Man She Met On Tinder Stole $200,000
Another day, another “Tinder Swindler” horror story.
Cecilie Fjellhoy a Norwegian masters student living in London met a man on Tinder and thought she was being swept off her feet. Fjelljoy told authorities that Simon Leviev took her on a private plane ride to Bulgaria for their first date and he claimed he was an Israeli millionaire who called himself the “Prince of Diamonds.”
Leviev was NOT a millionaire however, he was actually Shimon Hyuat, a 28-year-old convicted Israeli con-man who served three years in Finnish prison for defrauding several women in order to fund his lavish lifestyle. He’s since been dubbed the “Tinder Swindler” and he’s accused of defrauding DOZENS of women out of money.
ABC News reports that Fjellhoy was a victim of a “confidence fraud” that included the con-man claiming he was being targeted by unnamed enemies and needed large loans of money from to stay safe and throw “people off his trail.” The con-man was so dedicated to the scam that he allegedly sent fake hospital photos of himself after an alleged attack.
“Fjellhoy said Hyuat surrounded himself with people who helped perpetuate the myth, even going so far as to send photos of himself and his bodyguard in the hospital after they were allegedly “attacked.”
“One of the main reasons why he needed it was protection… he needed my name as a cover, he said,” Fjellhoy told “Nightline.” “I know it sounds crazy… [but] why would he have this giant guy with him if he didn’t need the protection?”
The victim has receipts of her fraudulent lover’s shady ways including text messages where he PROMISED week after week to pay her back. Ultimately however when she finally figured out she’d been scammed she was physically ill and had to be put into a psych ward for suicidal thoughts.
“I almost wanted to throw up,” she said. “It was the first time in my life that I had gotten such a shock that my body physically was telling me that, ‘OK your life is ruined,’ everything came crashing down around me.”
In case you’re wondering, her fraudy faux-boo is NOT in jail even though Fjellhoy filed a report with the Metro Police in London.
Hyuat himself is speaking out and swears he’s innocent. He spoke to the news via text;
“There is nothing here just [a] loan between friends that went south… she agreed to loan me the money and then she disappeared… before we [were]able to pay back… they used me for my life they got expensive gifts and everything, In other words gold diggers, When I ask help they agreed to help and they know that I have some problems I didn’t run from no one it’s all fake news and lies.”
SHADY, SHADY, SHADY.
Be careful on these apps, folks!