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assisting in the realization of civil and social rights
Love on credit for 250 thousand dollars. How not to become a victim of a marriage scammer using the example of the heroine of the Netflix film "The Tinder Swindler"
31.05.2023
We've all heard about marriage scammers: they seem like fairy tale princes who will finally show you true love, but in reality, they will not only leave you heartbroken, but also take all your money. It seems like stumbling upon such a scammer is very difficult, but it's not. A skilled manipulator can turn the head of even the most skeptical and distrustful person. Using the example of the heroine of the Netflix documentary film "The Tinder Swindler" (2022), we analyze the main mistakes that left her without love and without money.
Cecilia met Simon Leviev, the director of LLD Diamonds and the son of a Russian-Israeli diamond magnate, on the Tinder dating app. The correspondence began almost instantly, and Simon invited Cecilia to an expensive London hotel. Before going on a date, the girl checked his Instagram: Simon looked perfect. More than a hundred thousand followers, branded clothes, attractive appearance, photos from luxury places — Cecilia was very intrigued.
In reality, Simon looked exactly the same as in the photos, so there seemed to be no reason for suspicion. The date went well: at first, the couple talked about work (Simon even showed Cecilia his photos with his father, the "diamond king"), and then the conversations quickly became more sincere and personal. At the end of the date, Simon said that he really liked Cecilia and wanted to get to know her better. For this, he invited her to fly to Bulgaria together on his own plane. Cecilia decided that it would be stupid to refuse.
Simon liked Cecilia so much from the first meeting that he invited her to fly to another country at his own expense. By agreeing to such a trip with a person you've known for an hour, you put yourself in a situation of financial dependence, and that's quite dangerous. You may be kidnapped or forced to do things you don't want to do to "work off" a date at someone else's expense.
Fortunately, this was not Simon's goal. The flight went smoothly, the couple started a relationship, but Simon quickly flew to a new country for "work" matters. Cecilia still felt special, because Simon bought her luxurious bouquets and said how much he loved and missed her.
But as soon as the couple officially started dating, Simon told the girl that a relationship with him could be dangerous: the diamond industry is a brutal business. He was in the middle of a large deal worth 70 million dollars, which was why he was receiving threats. The man even received a funeral wreath and bullets in the mail. In the end, Simon's security team decided that it was not safe for him to stay in London. Cecilia believed that this was true love and decided to go through all the trials with him.
At some point, Simon suggested that Cecilia move in together. But soon after this proposal, Cecilia received a frightening message in the middle of the night: Peter, Simon's bodyguard, had been attacked, although Simon himself was supposed to be the victim. He even attached a photo of the bodyguard in blood and a video message from the ambulance. The next morning, Simon told Cecilia that «for security reasons» he was now forbidden to use his credit card because his location could be tracked through expenses. Therefore, Simon asked Cecilia to allow him to use her cards. Of course, Cecilia agreed.
Simon issued a new card in Cecilia's name, put money into the account, but before the funds arrived, he asked the girl to bring him 25 thousand dollars in cash to Amsterdam. Cecilia didn't have that much money, so she took out a loan.
When Cecilia arrived in Amsterdam with the money, Simon received a call from the same bodyguard, who announced over the speakerphone that «they were already coming for» Simon, he needed to turn off the lights in the house and wait for a car to take him to the airport.
To create the appearance of legality for the banks, Simon hired Cecilia to work in his company. According to the documents, the girl's salary was 94 thousand dollars a month. Thanks to this scheme, the banks continued to issue Cecilia cash loans, and she could increase the limits on her cards. Simon used all the money, and the amounts of the loans that the girl had taken out in 9 different banks only grew larger. Very quickly, this amount reached 250 thousand dollars, but Simon promised to repay all the money. However, the checks he returned to Cecilia were impossible to cash.
Cecilia was under constant pressure and believed that without this money, Simon could be killed. But what was really happening? Each time Simon flew to another country, he spent all his time not in business meetings, but at parties with new girls. The scammer would choose one victim, court her, start a relationship, and then the story with the wounded Peter and the hitmen hunting for Simon would repeat itself. The man didn't even change the photos and videos he sent to his girls.
The infatuated women took out a lot of loans, which went not to save Simon's life, but to expensive hotels, yachts, lots of champagne, and other gifts for the scammer's new victims. In the end, Cecilia told her story to one of the banks and learned that Simon Leviev is one of the aliases of a marriage scammer who makes a living by deceiving women. The photos with the father, the diamond magnate, turned out to be Photoshopped, and the photos and videos of the wounded bodyguard, the late-night calls asking to urgently leave the country, and everything else were a carefully planned spectacle.
What "red flags" can be noticed in this story? Firstly, Cecilia's relationship with Simon developed too quickly, and he always paid for the girl. Accepting such expensive gifts from someone you've just met and moving in with them can be dangerous. Real life is not much like a fairy tale, it is unlikely that a "diamond prince" whom you've known for one day will sincerely swear his love to you and ask you to move in with him at his expense.
Secondly, in fact, Cecilia didn't spend much time with Simon. They mainly communicated on WhatsApp because the man was constantly traveling. Cecilia didn't know where he was, who he was with, or what he was doing, but she believed him. It's much easier to lie on the internet than in reality, so remember: if you decide to live with someone under the same roof, there should be more real communication in that relationship than virtual communication. You can't trust someone who is only by your side in words, especially if those words can't be confirmed.
Thirdly, don't take on huge loans for the sake of another person. Cecilia didn't suspect anything even when she took out a loan from the ninth bank. Simon, meanwhile, was in no hurry to return the money.
Fourthly, do not break the law. Simon made fake income statements for Cecilia. If someone tries to involve you in any illegal activity, it's better to leave them immediately.
Fifthly, stay vigilant. Constantly ask yourself if you are sure about the motives of the person close to you. Cecilia did not ask why one couldn't go to the police if the life of such a wealthy and influential businessman was in danger, and why a person with money would need so much cash on credit. Trust your intuition and critically evaluate the situation.
Sixthly, consult with friends and family you trust. Right from the beginning of her acquaintance with Simon, Cecilia told her friends about the man. Some of them immediately found him suspicious, but Cecilia did not listen to them.
Stories about marriage scammers are not always that exciting. Sometimes, on the contrary, they do not give any gifts but only emotionally bind the victim to themselves and demand money. Be careful with online acquaintances. A scammer can make you fall in love with them and then suggest moving in with you. For some reason, they will not be able to buy tickets or pay for other related expenses, which will eventually fall on your shoulders. As soon as the money hits the scammer's account, they will disappear from your life.
How did the story of Simon and Cecilia end? The Bank of Norway forgave Cecilia's debt (she is Norwegian by nationality) after the documentary was released, but she still owes money to eight other banks. Other victims of Simon are also paying off their loan debts. Simon himself is free. He did not suffer any punishment for deceiving the girls. He was prosecuted several times and even imprisoned, but only for using fake documents. For example, in 2019, in Israel, where he is from, he was accused of fraud and sentenced to 15 months in prison, but was released after 5 months for good behavior.
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