Netflix Acquires Distribution Rights For ‘Tinder Swindler’ Documentary

Netflix has bought the global distribution rights to a documentary film about a notorious Israeli romance scammer, who conned female victims out of millions of dollars.

Shimon Hayut, known colloquially as the ‘Tinder Swindler’, posed on the dating app as the son of a well-known Russian oligarch. He then matched with women, typically in Scandinavian countries, and convinced them to take out lines of credit to help pay for his security needs.

The money was used to fund a lavish lifestyle and he would often take his victims on expensive holidays to make the lie more believable.

Hayut fled to Europe on two separate occasions in an attempt to escape charges in Israel. However, he was captured in Greece in 2019 and was issued a 15 month sentence, of which he served just five.

The film, which is also titled ‘Tinder Swindler’, was produced by Raw TV, the British company behind viral documentaries ‘Don’t F*** With Cats’ and ‘Three Identical Strangers’. Raw TV is also well known for its ‘The Imposter’ series, which focuses on individuals who aren’t who they claim to be.

One of Hayum’s victims told The Times Of Israel after his release: “I’m a single mom to a daughter and I gave him all the savings I had. It’s a disgrace that they released him from prison.

“He’s a bad person, and I haven’t been able to rebuild my life because of him to this day. Myself and some other women filed lawsuits against him with the European Court of Justice and submitted complaints against him with Interpol.”

He made headlines again in December after pretending to be a medic in order to get his COVID-19 vaccination early.

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