Fjellhoy moved to London after moving from Norway. She used Tinder to search for love. Fjellhoy said that she didn’t realize at the time that things would “go so, so wrongly, so quickly.”
She met Simon Leviev, an Israeli-born, billionaire heir to the diamond fortune. He lived a life so lavish it felt to Fjellhoy like a fairy-tale. He introduced her to the world of lavish restaurants and private jets.
She said that while he had confidence, she could sense that he was a very funny person. This was her first interview on U.S. morning television.
Fjellhoy claimed that the fairy tale quickly turned into a living nightmare. After six weeks of being together, Leviev called for help. Fjellhoy would soon be losing thousands of dollars in a scam which is attracting a lot attention from both sides.
She is one of three women featured in Netflix’s hit documentary, “Tinder Swindler.” They all claim they met Shimon Hayut, Leviev’s real-name, on Tinder and were conned.
Hayut was a friend or date to multiple women. He then said that his life was under threat and requested money to escape. Hayut is accused of defrauding approximately $10 million from several alleged victims.
The “Tinder Swindler”, an internationally renowned Israeli-born son to a rabbi, had a modest childhood in Tel Aviv that seemed very different from the luxurious and jet-set lifestyle he claimed he led.
Fjellhoy stated that Hayut’s appeal for help came first in a voice mail.
He wrote her, “I would like to do you a favor if your American Express credit card is available.” His bodyguard and he had been attacked by someone he called “enemies”.
Fjellhoy stated, “I believed he was in danger.” He also noted that he didn’t initially ask for money.
She said, “He needed to travel safely under my name.”
Leviev continued to ask for more.
She said, “I felt like I was supporting him.” It’s hard when everyone says, “Oh, if someone asked to help me, I would have run for the other side.” What kind of person would that make me?
“Tinder Swindler,” a Netflix documentary, explains in detail Hayut’s multi-national con. He manipulated victims into taking out larger loans until they were unable to pay him back financially or emotionally.
Felicity Morris, director of the film, stated that they knew that the story contained universal themes about love.
She said, “Swiping is an act of vulnerability in and of itself. “We have been really overwhelmed by the support and the sympathy. The outrage of these women shouldn’t be blamed for what has happened.”
Morris claimed that Hayut allegedly conned people out of large sums of money over many years, and that she has approximately 25 victims.
Hayut wasn’t a stranger to authorities. Before meeting Fjellhoy, Hayut had already spent two years in Finland as a fraudster prison.
Fred Davis, a former federal prosecutor, stated that one of his advantages was the ability to not spend too much time in one country.
“I don’t know if the U.K. or Norway, Sweden, or [the Netherlands] have enough interest to concentrate on the guy. He said that it was a transnational crime of classic nature, which happens quite often.”
Hayut was finally detained in 2019. He was convicted of fraud charges that were not related to Fjellhoy and served just five months in prison. According to his Instagram account, the 31-year old is living free and as lavishly now as ever.
After the success of his documentary, he now works with a Los Angeles talent agency.
Fjellhoy has felt overwhelmed by the attention. Fjellhoy and her accusers have been called “gold diggers” by some critics.
She said, “We’ve heard this before, in 2019.” It’s a victim-blaming, shameful game and we have been laughing about it. We are the worst gold diggers in the world. Simon Leviev would not have sought help from proper gold diggers if he was around them.
Hayut will deny the allegations in an interview with Inside Edition, which airs Monday night.
Hayut stated that they basically took everything and manipulated it to make it into a narrative which was one-sided. “Basically, to destroy my name. To make me look like this beast.”
Fjellhoy claimed she was scammed out of over $200,000 and that interest is adding to the debt. She now owes nearly $300,000. Fjellhoy isn’t abandoning dating apps despite all the bad things that have happened to her.
She said, “I am still on Tinder as I don’t blame Tinder for this.” “I believe Tinder was one avenue where the man knew he could manipulate his skills in that way.”
Fjellhoy stated that she can’t let go of love.
She said, “I am a loving person. I love people. I want that from him.”
After learning of his alleged frauds, Tinder said Hayut was removed from Tinder’s dating app in 2019.
