Liebowitz Family Withdraws Lawsuit Against 'Tinder Swindler' Simon Leviev

The Liebowitz family has officially withdrawn the private criminal complaint they filed against Simon Leviev, also known as the "Tinder Swindler." The legal case began in 2022 when four of Lev Leviev's nine children, Zebulon, Ayelet, Ruti, and Hagit, along with the family diamond company LLD, accused Simon Leviev of impersonating their father and exploiting the family's reputation to commit fraud and deception globally.

Simon Leviev, born Shimon Yehuda Hayut in 1990 in Bnei Brak, is the son of Rabbi Yohanan Hayut, who was previously dismissed from El Al amid fraud suspicions. Simon changed his name to strengthen his false claim as heir to the diamond empire. The complaint detailed how he deceived victims by claiming he was barred from using family assets due to enemies, convincing women to transfer large sums of money.

Leviev's criminal history dates back to 2011 with charges of theft and fraud in Israel, followed by fleeing to Jordan and Europe under false identities. He was sentenced to two years in prison in Finland in 2015 for possession of forged documents. After early release, he continued fraudulent activities across Europe, including emotional manipulation and false claims of urgent financial distress.

In 2019, he was extradited to Israel and sentenced to 15 months for previous fraud offenses. Despite early release in 2021, he remained wanted in Spain and was arrested in Georgia in September 2025 at Interpol's request. Between 2015 and 2018, he allegedly defrauded victims of approximately $500 million by leveraging the Liebowitz family name.

His story gained worldwide attention following a 2019 Norwegian newspaper investigation and the 2022 Netflix documentary "The Tinder Swindler," which became the platform's most-watched documentary and earned five Emmy nominations. After being banned from Tinder, Leviev capitalized on his notoriety by signing with a talent agency, publishing an autobiography, and selling personalized videos on Cameo for hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Following the documentary's impact and public exposure, the Liebowitz family chose to drop their lawsuit against him, ending the legal battle over the impersonation and fraud claims.