'Tinder Swindler' con artist Simon Leviev arrested in Georgia

Israeli Simon Leviev, accused of defrauding multiple women of up to $10m, is taken into custody at an airport.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of The Earth EarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersWatch Live'Tinder Swindler' con artist arrested in Georgia12 hours agoShareSaveYang TianShareSaveGetty Images"Tinder Swindler" Simon Leviev being expelled from Athens, Greece in 2019.A convicted con artist who was the subject of a popular 2022 Netflix documentary, The Tinder Swindler, has been arrested in Georgia, local officials said.

Israeli Simon Leviev was taken into custody at Interpol's request after arriving at Batumi airport in the country's south-west, Georgia's interior ministry said on Monday.

Leviev, 34, gained notoriety after an investigative documentary uncovered a string of romance fraud and financial crimes, involving an estimated $10m (£7.4m).

He allegedly posed as the wealthy heir of a diamond mogul on dating app Tinder and swindled women into lending him large sums of money, which he never repaid. Leviev previously denied the allegations.

Authorities did not immediately provide details of the reason for the arrest of Leviev, whose real name is Shimon Yehuda Hayut.