Netflix’s latest documentary The Tinder Swindler has gone viral after it went online for its “crazier than a movie” story. Featuring the accounts of three victims: Cecilie, Ayleen and Pernilla, the film introduces the audience to Simon Leviev, a good-looking con artist posing as a billionaire, who scams several women out of millions of dollars. What begins as a fairytale romance sours into a nightmare, and turns into a cautionary tale of the dangers of online dating.
Claiming to be the son of a diamond tycoon, Simon would entice women on social media by flaunting pictures of his luxurious lifestyle. He invited them to fly on private planes and stay in luxury hotels, making them believe in the Cinderella story while stealing their hearts and their money.
Cecilie, Ayleen and Pernilla got together to uncover his swindling schemes and managed to put Simon behind bars. Simon was given a 15-month sentence for fraud but only served five months and went back on the prowl on social media and dating apps upon release. Simon has had a surge in followers after the show went online, proving that reality is sometimes even more bizarre than fiction.
Photo courtesy of Netflix 照片由Netflix提供
(Translated by Rita Wang, Taipei Times)
Netflix紀錄片《Tinder大騙徒》一上線就以「比電影更誇張」的真實故事引發熱烈討論。片中透過三位受害者賽西莉、艾琳、和佩妮拉的視角,帶觀眾一探帥氣偽多金的騙徒賽門詐騙高達千萬美金的案件,從看似童話的開頭,最後走向卻宛如恐怖片,既警世又充滿戲劇性。
賽門自稱是鑽石大亨的兒子,利用社群上的炫富照吸引受害者上勾,他邀請她們搭私人飛機、住五星級飯店,讓對方以為自己要飛上枝頭當鳳凰,沒想到卻一步步落入人財兩失的陷阱。
賽西莉、艾琳和佩妮拉之後組成「婦仇者聯盟」一同揭開騙局,最後成功讓賽門因詐欺罪被判十五個月,但他僅入獄五個月就被釋放,之後持續活躍於交友軟體及社群,紀錄片播出後,粉絲還因此暴增,足見現實真的比電影更荒謬。
(自由時報)
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