CrimeFeb 08, 2022
LLD Diamonds Responds to Netflix Doc ‘The Tinder Swindler’CrimeMar 03, 2022
LLD Diamonds Is Reportedly Suing the ‘Tinder Swindler’
The company is taking legal action against the man who allegedly posed as its CEO’s son and defrauded women out of millions of dollars.
“The Tinder Swindler” is back in the headlines, with LLD Diamonds suing Simon Leviev, a.k.a. Shimon Hayut, for impersonating a member of the Leviev family.
New York—There’s a new chapter in the “Tinder Swindler” saga.
E! News delivered the scoop that Lev Leviev’s company, LLD Diamonds, is suing Simon Leviev, born Shimon Hayut, for millions of dollars after he imitated a member of the Leviev family in order to defraud women he met on dating app Tinder.
One of Leviev’s daughters, Chagit Leviev, told the outlet: “Shimon Hayut is a fraud who stole our family’s identity and has tried to exploit our good name to con victims out of millions of dollars.
“He has no relation to the Leviev family and has no affiliation with our company, LLD Diamonds. I am relieved that his real identity and actions have been globally exposed, and hopefully this will bring an end to his unscrupulous actions.”
The lawsuit was filed in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Hayut’s story has become a cultural sensation since being detailed in the Netflix documentary “The Tinder Swindler.”
In the film, Hayut’s alleged victims recount his elaborate cons.
First, they met him on Tinder, claiming to be the son of billionaire Leviev. After he wined and dined them and a relationship had begun to blossom, he would ask to borrow money during supposed security emergencies, but never pay them back.
An investigation from Norwegian publication VG brought the story to light in 2019, but the Netflix documentary elevated the case to another level.
Hayut has given public interviews since, claiming his innocence.
While he’s served jail time for other offenses over the years, he hasn’t had any legal consequences for the alleged crimes documented in the film.
LLD Diamonds’ suit accuses Hayut of posing as a son of Lev Leviev, defrauding and conning people in the process. The lawsuit alleges defamation, invasion of privacy, and breach of trademarks.
In its statement to E!, an LLD Diamonds attorney said it will file additional suits against Hayut and any companies that work with him and aim to profit off of his impersonation.
LLD Diamonds did not respond to request for comment on this story.
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