Woman Gets Scammed For $200,000 By Guy She Met On Tinder

A 29-year-old Norwegian masters student who lives in London got a harsh lesson about the perils of online dating after she was swindled out of $200,000. Cecilie Fjellhoy met Simon Leviev, a self-described Israeli millionaire, and instantly fell for him. Leviev chartered a private jet to fly them from London to Bulgaria for their first date, and the two appeared to have a connection.

Leviev told her he was a diamond dealer and was always traveling so the two continued their long-distance relationship, sending each other love notes and video messages. He rarely visited her in London but would charter private planes for her to meet him wherever he was.

While Fjellhoy was falling head over heels for Leviev, he was just playing with her emotions and manipulating her so he could use her to fund his lavish lifestyle. He told her that his job as a diamond dealer was dangerous and that he made enemies who wanted to hurt him. He even sent her a photo of himself in the hospital after he was allegedly attacked.

Not long after the supposed attack, Leviev asked her to open a line of credit so he could book flights and conduct business without drawing attention to himself.

"One of the main reasons why he needed it was protection… he needed my name as a cover, he said," Fjellhoy told Nightline. "I know it sounds crazy... [but] why would he have this giant guy with him if he didn't need the protection?"

He promised to pay her back, but the money never came, and eventually, Fjellhoy realized that Leviev was too good to be true. It turns out that Leviev's real name is Shimon Hyuat and he spent three years in a Finnish prison for conning other women.

Before Fjellhoy ended her relationship with the con man, she had lost over $200,000. The revelation that she had been scammed hit her really hard.

"I had to be put into a hospital. Psychiatric ward. Because of suicidal thoughts because I thought my life was over like I didn't see a way out," she said. "You've lost your boyfriend but he didn't just dump you, he never existed, he was never your boyfriend."

Hyuat, who is now living in Panama, told Nightline via text message that he is innocent and accused Fjellhoy of being a gold digger who just loved him for his wealth.

"There is nothing here just [a] loan between friends that went south… she agreed to loan me the money and then she disappeared… before we [were]able to pay back… they used me for my life they got expensive gifts and everything, In other words, gold diggers, When I ask help they agreed to help and they know that I have some problems I didn't run from no one it's all fake news and lies."

Officials in Israel say that Hyuat has been wanted on charges of theft, forgery, and fraud since 2011. He has also been reported to authorities in Sweden, London, and Norway for his alleged schemes.


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