Shimon Hayut, the 36-year-old man known as the "Tinder Swindler," has announced the imminent release of a new dating platform called Safe Love. Hayut, who was convicted of fraud, theft, and forgery in Israel and Finland, claims his criminal history equips him to prevent the deceptions and identity scams common in online dating. He stated in a videoconference interview with Fox News Digital that he intends to use his knowledge of how fraudsters operate to make the dating environment safer for users.
Hayut served time in Finland from September 2015 until March 2017 after being sentenced to two years in prison in 2015 for defrauding three women, according to the Times of Israel. He was later extradited from Greece to Israel in June 2019 and jailed until May 2020. In 2019, he was convicted of four charges of fraud and sentenced to 15 months in prison, though BBC reported he was released after five months. Hayut compared himself to Frank Abagnale Jr., the con man who later became a fraud-prevention specialist, arguing that his experience makes him a suitable candidate to help others avoid becoming victims.
The Safe Love app will implement rigid identification requirements, including mandatory uploads of government identification cards and selfies to verify user identity. Hayut said that profile photos differing from the verification selfie by more than 15% will not be allowed. The platform also plans to include an SOS button that records audio and video and shares the user’s location with law enforcement if pressed during a date. Hayut attributed the idea for these safety measures to a past negative experience involving a match who was transgender.
The app is currently in the late stages of its regulation phase before release. Hayut said it could launch in a few days or weeks. However, the Online Dating and Discovery Association (ODDA) has opposed the project. In a letter to Google and Apple, ODDA urged the tech companies to ban Safe Love from their app stores, arguing that hosting a convicted romance fraudster undermines sector efforts and poses a risk to users. ODDA stated that allowing Hayut to operate in an environment built on trust completely undermines previous safety initiatives.
Hayut dismissed the pushback, claiming that ODDA is threatened by the superiority of his product. He told Fox News Digital that he cannot afford to make mistakes due to his notoriety, stating that any system fault would lead to him being considered guilty. Fox News Digital reached out to Apple and Google for comment. Hayut, who has never been married but is the father of an 11-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son, said he has changed since his earlier crimes.