“It’s not a crime to fall in love. Unfortunately, what these scammers do is steal your heart and suck out all the goodness and kindness,” says Dutchwoman Ayleen Charlotte, one of the victims of the famous “Tinder Scammer,” about the so-called “love scam,” CNN . The crime was portrayed in the series produced by the streaming platform Netflix.
“The Tinder Scam” gained worldwide attention after its premiere on Netflix in 2022, showing how alleged millionaire Shimon Hayut carried out famous online dating scams in various places in Europe.
The Israeli, who posed as Simon Leviev, began dating his victims and then began extorting them financially until the women went bankrupt. The documentary quickly became one of the most watched on the platform.
The act committed by the man is widely known today as the “love scam”. In conversation with CNN Ayleen emphasizes that the crime is nothing more than the creation of false identities, fictitious romantic involvement by the party committing the scam and, then, earning money through extortion.
The woman, who today works as an activist for the cause and is a “Fraud Advocate” at BioCatch, a company specializing in detecting digital fraud and preventing financial crimes, also provides guidance on how to protect yourself from it.
“They gain your trust, show you a lot of love and when they have manipulated you, made you dependent on them, they take advantage of you,” Ayleen points out.
Unmasking the Tinder Scammer
Ayleen was the victim responsible for “unmasking” Shimon Hayut by reporting him to the Greek police and giving his exact location, after coming across an article in the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang, written about him with the help of two other victims: Cecilie Fjellhøy and Pernilla Sjoholm.
“When I had to face him I felt a little scared, but I knew deep down that he wouldn’t do anything to me, he was already exposed in the article, if something happened to me everyone would know it would have been him,” she says.
“However, I was more afraid of continuing to pretend that I believed him, that I was still his girlfriend after the article, than actually doing something about him,” Ayleen added. “He trusted me a lot, that’s why he gave me so many of his personal details. I knew where he was, I knew all of his details.”
Ayleen was working in the luxury market at the time, selling brands such as Hugo Boss and Louis Vuitton.
After the documentary, she decided she wanted to do more on the subject. “The documentary was a huge change in my life. I thought it might be good for people who have been through the same thing as me.”
“Fraud Advocate”
Ayleen currently gives talks and trainings on love scams around the world. “A lot of people are scared to talk about it, they feel embarrassed,” she explains. Most recently, she even won an award at the Digital Fashion and Crypto Awards, organized by Fashion Magazine, for her work as an activist for the cause.
“It was an honor. I think if you are a victim of this type of scam and you open up to the world with your story, a lot of people have a lot of opinions. I got a lot of bad feedback when the documentary came out, but I try to focus on the good. And winning an award for it, I think, was my greatest achievement.”
“I share my story with others, and they share their stories with me. And then they feel like someone understands them. You don’t just lose all your money when you fall for a scam like that, you lose your self-confidence,” says Ayleen.
She will be coming to Brazil in early August to participate in BioCatch events and talk about her journey, as well as give advice to Brazilians. “I met BioCatch a little over a year ago and we instantly connected. There we showed people how important it is to be safe in the banking system. If I continue to share my story and work with them, I believe we will build a better world for victims, or prevent people from becoming victims in the first place.”
How to avoid falling for the love scam?
“The most important lesson is if your new partner is asking you for money at a very early stage in the relationship, say no, talk it over with family and friends, they will probably have a clearer view than you and can help you out of a tight spot,” advises Ayleen. “If they need the money right away, it’s probably a scam.”
Ayleen also stresses the importance of continuing to make documentaries on this topic. This is one of the reasons why she will premiere a new show on the subject between September and October of this year.
“It will be the first season, and we are very excited and curious to know about its impact. I can’t reveal any more details yet, but it will be a television program that helps victims of love scams, specifically. I’m filming all day long. It basically serves as support for victims who have gone through the same thing as me and the other people portrayed in the documentary,” concludes Ayleen.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
