The Tinder Swindler's Legal Problems Are Taking A More Complicated Turn

If you've already seen Netflix's "The Tinder Swindler," then you know just how complicated Simon Leviev (whose real name is Shimon Hayut)'s life has been lately. If you haven't, allow us to fill you in. Leviev rose to prominence earlier this year when Netflix released the aforementioned documentary painting him as a con man.

Producers interviewed various women who claimed to have matched with Leviev on dating apps only to be scammed out of thousands of dollars within weeks of matching. After wooing his date, Leviev would tell her he was having serious money problems — thanks to some shady "enemies" — and ask her to wire him vast sums of cash. You can probably guess what happened next. The woman would send Leviev the money with the understanding that it would be paid back, but Leviev would simply disappear, never to be heard from again.

He didn't come away from "The Tinder Swindler" looking very good, but he nonetheless used the bad press to his advantage. Leviev quickly cashed in on Cameo and even hinted at hosting his very own dating show. As for his legal punishment — nothing. Leviev has yet to be charged with a crime, which is why the latest news about his legal issues has come as such a shock.

The women Simon Leviev (aka Shimon Hayut) scammed may never get their day in court, but that doesn't mean that he's in the clear just yet. Leviev told women he was part of the Leviev family — an Israeli family who made their fortune in diamonds as part of his scam. To be clear, there is no relation, per Page Six.

Fast forward a few years, and "The Tinder Swindler" has left the Leviev name badly tarnished, leading the Levievs to pursue legal action against Simon. Chagit Leviev, the actual heiress to the Leviev fortune, told E! News she and her family were eager to see Simon punished for his crimes. "Shimon Hayut is a fraud who stole our family's identity and has tried to exploit our good name to con victims out of millions of dollars," she told the outlet. "He has no relation to the Leviev family and has affiliation with our company LLD Diamonds." The lawsuit alleges that Simon used the Leviev family name to lure his victims into a false sense of security. It also alleges that he went so far as to photoshop himself into pictures of the Leviev family to give his story legitimacy.

Simon remains unbothered. "Simon believes the family is just trying to insert themselves in the narrative for publicity after the show's success," a rep told the outlet. "Simon also legally changed his name in 2015 and looks forward to this getting thrown out in court."