Love is a funny thing. It can make an otherwise rational person do things that they never thought they would do—like fly cross-country on a whim or pretend to be really good at karaoke. Those butterflies you feel when you think you’re in love can make you feel invincible.
Unfortunately, that feeling can also make you vulnerable to scammers. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received some 56,000 complaints about romance scams—more than triple the number from 2017. And those folks didn’t just lose their hearts—they also reported monetary losses totaling $547 million.
Those scams—called romance scams or lonely hearts scams—typically start online. The popularity of online dating apps like match.com and OkCupid has made it easy for those looking to take advantage to do so.
The Tinder Swindler
One of the most notorious online romance scammers is Shimon Hayut, better known as the Tinder Swindler. Hayut, who also went by the name Simon Leviev, allegedly defrauded multiple women he met on the dating app by pretending to be the son of a billionaire. He hopped from one woman to the next, flashing signs of his alleged wealth to gain trust—and more money.
A Netflix documentary detailing Hayut’s behavior became a phenomenon—with many wondering why he remained a free man. Hayut had, in fact, already served time in 2015, including a stint in Finnish prison after being convicted of cheating three women out of money. But the film picks up after that time,…
