[imagesource: Netflix]

Simon Leviev is going the age-old route of deny, deny, deny.

Now and again, he pops up on Instagram and rubbished everything that was said in The Tinder Swindler, claiming he is the real victim here.

The women he swindled may well disagree. I see their GoFundMe to recoup their losses now sits just a tick over £170 000, which is still well short of the £600 000 goal.

Most recently, Leviev (real name Shimon Hayut) granted an interview to Inside Edition, sat alongside girlfriend Kate Konlin, and called Netflix’s doccie “a complete made-up movie”.

He can run his mouth all he wants. It usually tends to get him in trouble.

The family of an Israeli diamond magnate has had enough, and they’re now suing Leviev for claiming to be a member of the family.

NBC News reports:

The real Leviev family accused Simon Leviev… of “making false representations as being the son of Lev Leviev and receiving numerous benefits (including material ones), cunningly and using false words, claiming to be a member of the Leviev Family, and that his family (Leviev) will pay and bear the costs of his benefits,” according to a lawsuit filed in Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court in Israel…

Guy Ophir, the Leviev family’s attorney, said in a statement Monday that the lawsuit was “only the beginning of a number of lawsuits.”

Image: Netflix / TMZ

“In the next faze we will file a monetary suit against Simon and any other affiliate that will work with him, including some websites that have Joint ventures with Simon and/or have offered to buy cameos from him,” the attorney said in a statement. “Anyone that will try to capitalize from this scheme will be sued.”

Talking of cameos, your man is now flogging personalised video messages on Cameo.

His account shows that for a message you’re going to be paying R3 065:

Perhaps this will help him raise the funds to fight his enemies as they come after him.

In this case, that would be the Leviev family. Chagit Leviev, the daughter of Lev Leviev, stressed that this lawsuit was just the beginning:

“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. He has no relation to the Leviev family and has no affiliation with our company LLD Diamonds.”

“I am relieved that his real identity and actions have been globally exposed, and hopefully this will bring an end to his unscrupulous actions,” Chagit added.

As things stand, the swindler has not publicly responded to the lawsuit.

In December 2019, Leviev was convicted of fraud, theft, and forgery and sentenced to 15 months in prison.

He served just five before being released.

[source:nbc]