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Bad People

108. I was Tinder Swindled

Bad People

BBC

Society & Culture, True Crime, Unknown

4.41.1K Ratings

🗓️ 29 August 2024

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Presenters Dr Julia Shaw and Amber Haque meet the world's most famous victim of romance fraud: Cecilie Fjellhoy. After exposing the so-called Tindler Swindler in a Netflix hit, Cecilie confronted him in person and set up a campaign to help other victims.

Cecilie's life changed radically after she swiped right on the Tinder profile of Simon Leviev.

He took her on a private jet on their first date, told her he was the son of a billionaire diamond dealer and seemed to live a jet set life. But though he dressed in designer clothes from head to toe, drove expensive cars and had an entourage that included a chauffeur and a bodyguard, the handsome Israeli was actually a convicted fraudster whose real name was Shimon Hayut.

Once he knew Cecilie had fallen in love with him, he told her his life was in danger and that he needed to stay alive. He maxed out her credit card immediately and then begged her to get more money. She managed to borrow nearly $200,000 which he promised to pay back but he never did. She ended up bankrupt and depressed while he moved on to defrauding other women.

She tells Julia and Amber about life after Netflix - and discusses the psychological tricks that romance fraudsters play.

Presenters: Dr Julia Shaw and Amber Haque Producer: Shabnam Grewal Executive Producer: Innes Bowen Unit Manager: Lucy Bannister Production Coordinator: Juliette Harvey Researcher: Rhiannon Cobb Mix Engineer: John Scott Recording Studio: 88Hertz Commissioning Editor: Dylan Haskins Assistant Commissioners: Izzy Lee-Poulton, Adam Eland and Sarah Green

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This podcast is more than just true crime and amazing twisty turnie cases.

0:06.6

It's psychological insights looking at the assumptions versus the facts.

0:11.3

I'm Dr Julia Shaw criminal psychologist and I'm journalist

0:15.2

I'm a hmber hark in our brand new series of bad people we look at a different crime

0:19.3

each episode to reveal what it tells us about those of us who do terrible things.

0:24.8

Bad people.

0:26.3

Listen on BBC Sounds, music, radio podcasts.

0:34.8

You are listening to bad people.

0:36.8

The podcast about the bad things that people do and why.

0:40.8

This episode contains strong language.

0:45.0

So on the episode today you can hear our conversation with the woman who is probably the most well-known victim of romance fraud in the world

0:55.4

surely. Cecilia Fielho. Yeah she was the star of the Netflix documentary

1:01.0

Tinder Swindler,

1:02.5

Which is the story of what happens when she meets a man who takes her in his private jet for a first date.

1:09.2

And who then fleeces her for 200,000 pounds.

1:13.6

Cecilia will be telling us what happened when she came face to face

1:17.0

with a fraudster she exposed to the world.

1:19.2

Showdown. down.

1:28.0

I'm Dr. Julia Shaw criminal psychologist. And I'm Amber Hack, journalist and true crime documentary maker.

1:32.0

And this is bad people.

1:34.8

All right jewels listen before we get into this chat.

1:43.0

Jules, is that what I am now?

...

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