The Tinder Swindler may finally see some tangible consequences! Part of “Simon Leviev’s” elaborate con involved posing as the heir to a billionaire diamond family, Photoshopped pics and all. It was a pretty bold move, but while it worked for his swindling, it’s backfiring now. The real Leviev family has had enough of the fake Leviev besmirching their good name. They’ve filed a lawsuit against him and anyone involved in his cons, including websites that allow him to profit off his notoriety. And they’re going to hit him where it hurts — his wallet.
Simon Leviev, the so-called “Tinder Swindler,” is being sued by the diamond-rich family he claimed to be a part of as he allegedly bilked millions from young women he met on the dating app.
The lawsuit was filed in the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court in Israel on behalf of the Leviev family, whose patriarch, Lev Leviev, is a billionaire diamond magnate. The website for the Leviev family’s lawyer, Guy Ophir, confirmed the suit had been filed.
While Ophir did not immediately return Rolling Stone’s request for comment, a portion of the lawsuit quoted on his firm’s website said of Simon Leviev: “He is a crook and deceiver who changed his name for criminal purposes, while identifying that he is a member of the Leviev family and taking the reputation of the complainants” (from Hebrew, via Google Translate).
A rep for Simon Leviev did not immediately return Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
Ophir added in a statement that the lawsuit was just the first “in a series of legal proceedings that the Leviev family has instructed me to take against this crook and his accomplices.” He continued, “In the coming days a monetary claim will also be filed against the crook and anyone who has been involved in his past and present actions. Similarly, a lawsuit will be filed against the sites that chose to join the crook and allow him to sell paid greetings while exploiting his victims. The Leviev family intends to donate the money it obtains to its other victims” (from Hebrew, via Google Translate).
Ha, the Leviev family said they would like to be excluded from this narrative, that they never asked to be a part of, since 2011. Good! I like that they called Simon a crook, because that’s all he is, a crook in expensive clothing. He’s basically a knockoff, which is possibly the perfect insult for this materialistic man. The legit Levievs are probably horrified by the media attention they’re getting from this. They have a business and a brand to protect, so in a practical sense the lawsuit is the right move to manage their reputation and firmly disassociate themselves from him.
It’s nice that the Leviev family plans to donate any money they get from the lawsuits to Simon’s victims. They clearly don’t need the money and in a roundabout way it will be Simon paying his victims back. While I did hope the women would get their money back or some form of justice, I didn’t think a GoFundMe was the move. Giving him all that money — that they didn’t even have — was a choice they made and not a circumstance beyond their control. But ultimately, he’s the one that should pay and I hope he does.
Photos via Instagram
Good.
This was exactly, down to the period, what I came in to say/type.
I really hope such a powerful family will be able to hit this man where it hurts. The women unfortunately do not have any social clout and no power to really punish this man. It would be incredible for him to have to pay and the money to go back to the women.
Same. I’ve wondered why they didn’t do something sooner. This must all be so horrifying for them. But yes they have the power to financially hurt this tiny insignificant man.
A lot of people are saying that its the womens loss and that he doesnt have to pay them back. But in the doc their communication clearly states that he was going to pay them back, even at one point he falsely gave ‘extra’ than what was initially loaned. Surely that counts for something.
Agree, he clearly stated it was a loan, which could be argued is a legal agreement.
It’s gross to me that society and our laws always allow the wealthy to get theirs and protect themselves but tell victims of con artists it’s their own fault.
Surely part of the problem is the international nature of the crimes, though. Had all the parties been legal residents of the same country, and had all the banks been in said country, surely justice would be simpler. It seems like Interpol did what was in their power to do. And now whatshisname seems to be sticking to the country where he has citizenship rights. Israel is a tiny country. It must irk him a little that there’s a finite number of fancy clubs and hotels there and they all know who he is.
He must be fuming that he’s stuck in Israel. I mean there’s no place really in the world for him to con into so it wouldn’t matter but Israel is a tiny pond and it doesn’t have the luxury that other countries can afford. At least there’s that until they hopefully stick him in jail again. I’m. Just happy he can no longer profit. He clearly did what he’s being accused of and cannot not be found guilty. I doubt he even has the lawyers to go up against them. He’ll probably settle, sadly
I wondered when the real Leviev family would come after him. I think its possible they never really knew or even heard of the extent of his deception until this documentary got world wide exposure. I mean the family didn’t suffer any monetary loss, only Simon’s victims did so I don’t know if the authorities would have notified them about what he was doing. He was basically a petty crook until his name got blasted around the world. And by petty, I mean compared to the wealth of the Leviev family.
That’s a great move and wonderful gesture by the family.
The damages they can go for would be huge.
I mean, I understand that they are suing, because he’s a scam and a bad person, damaging their image in the process by using their name. Bu I’m not going to feel bad for a billionnaire who has ties to Russia. Next
I suspect there are several reasons Israeli diamond merchants would want to shut down attention on their “reputation,” though I agree they have every right to sue. Hopefully, some money will go to the victims.
My non negotiable is loaning a man money. NEVER do it. That would have been the second red flag after the fact that despite being from “a wealthy family” he still chose me to help his financial struggles and not them ??? Feel horrible for his victims and glad he was put on blast! This is almost as bad as celebrity imposters asking for $$ on IG.
I understand that they gave that money to him willingly, but I thought the documentary really underplayed the abusive undertones in his relationships. They play messages of him threatening to destroy these women as soon as they displease him. I honestly think many of them felt like giving him money was their only option.
Also, the Leviev family doesn’t care about the victims – they only care that this f*ckwad is the most famous “Leviev” in the world right now.
I read this and I was so happy for them. This family has the money and the name to hurt him. The women can’t, but they can. I heard it came from Chagit Leviev and I hope she saw the doc and as a woman was horrified. Men are proud and want to be like this loser but I think most women understand it and are horrified because they know it could have been them or they know what it’s like to be the prey of sinister men. Maybe now Israel will lock him up and take all those cars he’s been posting lately. And his Cameo money. In fact I hope the businesses he did business with voluntarily wash their hands of him, but if they won’t at least this lawsuit will make them turn over what he got. I wonder if Netflix ever paid him for that movie they’re making. I assume they have to get consent from everyone involved. Take that money too. Like Sorkin was made to do in New York.