Simon Leviev, the Israeli national internationally known as the "Tinder Swindler," was arrested at Batumi International Airport on September 15 after arriving in Georgia, local outlets reported.

Leviev, born Shimon Yehuda Hayut, was detained on the basis of an Interpol red notice, according to Georgia’s Interior Ministry.

Hayut gained worldwide notoriety following the release of the 2022 Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler, which detailed how he allegedly posed as the son of billionaire diamond tycoon Lev Leviev, to scam women he met on the popular dating app Tinder.

Under this false identity, he is believed to have orchestrated a years-long Ponzi-style scheme that defrauded individuals and banks of about £7.4mn (more than $9mn.

The Georgian authorities have not disclosed further details about the grounds for his detention. Speaking to Israeli media outlet Walla, Hayut’s attorney said the circumstances remain unclear. “I spoke with him this morning after he was detained, but we don’t yet understand the reason. He has been travelling freely around the world,” the lawyer said.

In a 2022 interview with CNN, Hayut denied the allegations, claiming he “just wanted to meet some girls.”

In 2019 Hayut was arrested in Greece and extradited to Israel, where he was convicted of fraud, forgery, and theft. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison but served only five owing to early release measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic — a decision that drew sharp criticism from his alleged victims.

Georgia’s Interior Ministry confirmed the arrest to Georgian outlets, but it remains unclear whether extradition proceedings will follow or if Hayut will face charges locally.