Tinder Scam ALERT! Rs. 2 cr stolen from woman by lover; on Tinder Swindler, don't swipe right | How-to

Tinder Scam ALERT! Rs. 2 cr stolen from woman by lover; on Tinder Swindler, don't swipe right

In a new Tinder scam, a con artist used the online dating app to con a woman out of nearly Rs. 2 crore; find out how to protect yourself from Tinder Swindler type scamsters.

By: AKASH DUTTA
| Updated on: Aug 22 2022, 00:04 IST
Man with a mask
A new Tinder scam has come to light where money was swindled from a woman by her lover. Find out how to avoid a Tinder Swindler type of scam (Sammy Williams/Unsplash)
Man with a mask
A new Tinder scam has come to light where money was swindled from a woman by her lover. Find out how to avoid a Tinder Swindler type of scam (Sammy Williams/Unsplash)

In a scary Tinder scam that has surfaced recently, a con artist by the name of Simon Leviev used the dating app to match with unsuspecting women, win their trust and eventually steal huge amounts of money from them. In this specific incident, almost Rs. 2 crore was swindled form a woman. This case has been made into a Netflix documentary called The Tinder Swindler which tells the story of multiple women who were conned a total of Rs. 75 Cr. Among them was Cecilie Fjellhøy, a 33-years old user experience designer, who alone was scammed of Rs. 1.8 Cr. This incident has highlighted the ugly side of online dating apps like Tinder and proves that even in virtual dating, people should be prioritizing their safety. If you use Tinder or any similar dating app, find out how you can avoid a Tinder Swindler type of guy.

But first, let us take a look at how this scam actually took place. The antagonist of this story is the Israeli con artist Leviev who would sway women he met on Tinder with his flashy life. His Instagram page and Twitter profile had pictures of him in private jets and helicopters. He would call himself a ‘globe-trotting businessman who dealt with diamonds. Using his rich life and cool demeanor, he would trap innocent women. One among them was Cecilie, who after the incident was left in debt and suicidal, reports The Sun.

Tinder Swindler's Modus Operandi

Cecilie matched with Leviev in January 2018, a few months after she moved to London. Wanting to meet new people she used Tinder, not knowing that one right swipe could be the biggest mistake of her life. After some conversations, the duo met for their first date in a five-star hotel. Leviev made his first move and invited her to join him on a private jet to Bulgaria where he had a meeting. Excited and seeing no reason to not trust, she agreed to accompany him. The Tinder scam started off well, but at the end, it left Cecilie on the verge of committing suicide.

Over the course of the next few weeks, the couple grew closer and the scammer completely won over the victim. “I had just moved to London, I didn't have a big friendship circle and he gave me the attention I needed,” she said. But this is where the trouble began. As the relationship grew closer, one day Leviev told Cecilie that he was trying to close a huge business deal but shady business enemies were after his life. He asked her for money to be able to travel and close the deal. She agreed.

Leviev kept spinning a web of lies to pressurise Cecilie and ask her to keep sending money. In one such incident, he sent a photo of himself in an ambulance and asked her to send money to get himself treated. All throug he kept promising that once the deal was closed, they would live happily ever after. Within 3 months after the first date, Cecilie had a debt of more than Rs. 1.8 Cr. Frustrated and distraught, she finally realized that she might have been scammed and reported it to a local police station where investigators confirmed her fears. This Tinder scam left her in debt, mental trauma and a state of suicide.

While the story of this woman is tragic, there are lessons to be learnt from it. So, to make sure you do not fall victim to such scams, make sure you follow these guidelines; they will stop you every time you want to swipe right on the wrong guy.

Tinder has a safety guideline page that warns the users from doing anything that can lead to endangering their safety. We have curated the most essential tips you should remember while dating online.

How to stay safe on Tinder

Step 1:

Never send money or share your financial information to anyone, under any circumstances.

Step 2:

Do not share your personal information like Aadhaar card number, PAN card information, work or home address or any details about your daily routine that can be used to track you. These rules are essential for anyone you have not met so far.

Step 3:

Keep the conversation limited to the platform while you are still getting to know them. Do not share your phone number or any contact details right away.

Step 4:

Watch out for scammers who claim to be from your country but stuck somewhere else, especially if they ask for financial help to return home.

Step 5:

Be wary of anyone who will not meet in person or talk on a phone/video call—they may not be who they say they are. If someone is avoiding your questions or pushing for a serious relationship without meeting or getting to know you first.

Step 6:

And most importantly, report any suspicious or offensive behavior immediately to Tinder. This may save you as well as many others online.

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First Published Date: 04 Feb, 13:40 IST
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