Tinder Swindler’s ‘Simon Leviev’ records Cameo videos for fans at £146 each
Scam artist joined video message app this week
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Your support makes all the difference.The Tinder Swindler’s “Simon Leviev” has recorded messages asking for cash from his fans on the video app Cameo.
Leviev – real name Shimon Hayut – used the dating app to trick women out of millions of dollars. He is estimated to have stolen $10m (£7.4m) over the years after luring his victims with expensive dates in order to gain their trust.
Since his victims’ stories were told in Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler, Hayut has been vocal on social media and this week joined Cameo, an app where notable figures can charge fans for personalised video messages.
For £146, fans can get a personal video from Hayut, while he is charging £1,460 for a professional video for businesses.
In an example birthday message on his profile, Hayut – who signs off all his videos as Leviev – thanks an imagined customer for protecting his girlfriend from “my enemies”, a reference to the way he convinced the women to send him money.
Footage from Hayut’s first Cameo videos began emerging on Twitter, in which Leviev made further references to his scams.
In one, he said: “Jessica, Charlie is running away because his enemies [are] after him, so if you can send him some cash. I wish you a great and magnificent day and happy Valentine’s Day.”
On Thursday (17 February), two of Hayut’s victims Cecilie Fjellhøy and Pernilla Sjoholm said that it was “heartbreaking” that Cameo wanted to “collaborate with a criminal” by working with him.
Appearing on Tamron Hall, Sjoholm said: “We’re coming out here, sharing our story, trying to share the world a criminal and what he’s doing and for anyone to collaborate with these types of people it’s honestly, it’s very heartbreaking.”
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In a statement shared with The Independent, a Cameo spokeperson said: “Cameo aims to be a ubiquitous marketplace. To that end, we believe our customers should be in control of the connections they choose to make through our service, and we do not police the beliefs or opinions of the Talent and fans who use Cameo.”
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