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Cecilie Fjellhøy Remains Close To A Fellow Tinder Swindler Victim
And runs a non-profit organisation to help victims of fraud.
Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler tells the shocking true story of Shimon Hayut, a prolific con artist who scammed women out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by posing as international businessman Simon Leviev, the son of a billionaire diamond mine owner. Targeting women on the popular dating app Tinder, Hayut used a deceptive web of lies to convince them to hand over significant amounts of money under false pretences. At the centre of the documentary lies Cecile Schrøder Fjellhøy who, along with other victims of Hayut’s scam, including Pernilla Sjoholm and Ayleen Charlotte, sets out to bring the fraudster to justice. But where is Cecile Schrøder Fjellhøy now?
Fjelljøy met Hayut on Tinder in January 2018. Following their first date in London, the pair kept in almost daily contact and met on several other occasions, despite his seemingly busy jet-set lifestyle. However, things changed dramatically when Hayut informed Fjelljøy of supposed threats made against him, claiming he was worried for his safety. A concerned Fjelljøy agreed to support Hayut financially, taking out loans from ten different banks, despite his apparent wealth.
Although he promised to pay back all the money, Fjelljøy soon discovered that everything was a lie and her feelings for Hayut were not mutual. After cutting off all contact with the man she believed to be her loving boyfriend, Fjelljøy reported Hayut in Norway and England. Soon after, she contacted the Norwegian publication, VG, providing them with all the documentation of their relationship, including text messages and voice notes. Fjelljøy eventually discovered that Hayut had been convicted of major fraud in 2015, and her own experience matched the stories of his previous victims.
Today, Fjelljøy resides in London and works as a Senior UX Designer at Sopra Steria, a Paris-based consulting, digital services, and software development company. She is also the founder of action:reaction — a non-profit organisation that aims to “support and speak on issues regarding fraud.” Per the LinkedIn description of the organisation, the company aims “to create change in legislations and help victims to get proper help. Both mental and juridically.”
Fjelljøy also remains close to a fellow victim of Hayut’s deception, Pernilla Sjoholm. In the summer of 2021, the pair even holidayed together in Greece, and snapshots of their relationship can be found on their respective Instagram accounts.