Simon Leviev, the Israeli man at the centre of the 2022 Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler, has been released from prison in Georgia after German authorities withdrew an extradition request.
Leviev, 35, rose to notoriety for allegedly defrauding multiple women of an estimated £7.6 million while posing as the son of a wealthy diamond mogul on the dating app Tinder.
Leviev was arrested at Batumi Airport on September 15 following an Interpol notice and had been held in a penitentiary facility in Kutaisi.
His lawyer, Mariam Kublashvili, told journalists that the case against him was fully closed and that he was freed without bail, legal undertakings or travel restrictions.
The German investigation followed a complaint from a Berlin woman who alleged Leviev defrauded her of £44,000 after meeting on Tinder. It is not clear why prosecutors dropped the case, although Kublashvili cited a lack of evidence.
Between 2017 and 2019, Leviev is said to have used elaborate displays of wealth to win the trust of his victims, including private jets, bodyguards and expensive outings.
The documentary suggested that once women were emotionally invested, he would ask them to open credit cards in their name and transfer funds to him.
Leviev has consistently denied all allegations, describing his accusers as liars and paid actresses, and claiming he never took money from women. He has said the truth will be revealed in an upcoming book and film.
One of his alleged victims, Pernilla Sjöholm, praised Berlin police for their investigation after his arrest in Batumi.
Sjöholm described the emotional toll of being scammed, including losing friends and feeling humiliated.
She said the experience took more than two years to recover from and left her questioning her own intelligence and judgment.
Leviev’s release marks the latest chapter in a saga that has drawn international attention to the risks of online romance fraud and the devastating personal impact on those who fall prey to it.
