Victims Shocked as 'Tinder Swindler' Avoids Lengthy Sentence

In a surprising turn of events, Shimon Hayut, the infamous 'Tinder Swindler', was released from prison in Georgia last week, much to the shock and disappointment of his victims. Hayut, 35, had been accused of swindling women across Europe out of millions by posing as a member of a wealthy diamond merchant family on the dating app.

Hayut had been facing up to 10 years in prison after being arrested in Georgia in September for an alleged £38,000 fraud committed in Germany. However, in a plea deal, he was instead given a one-year suspended sentence, allowing him to walk free after just two months of incarceration.

One of Hayut's victims, Swedish businesswoman Pernilla Sjoholm, who claims she was swindled out of £39,000, expressed her dismay at the lenient sentence. "I'm disappointed that he's not going to spend more years in prison," she said. However, Sjoholm noted that this was still a "win" as Hayut had been convicted and admitted to his crimes.

Despite his release, Hayut's legal troubles are far from over. He still faces ongoing cases in his native Israel, including a lawsuit by the wealthy Leviev family, whom he had claimed to be a member of. Sjoholm also hopes that authorities in the UK, where other victims have filed reports, will take action against Hayut.

As Sjoholm pointed out, Hayut's crimes extend beyond just romance fraud, as he has also been accused of defrauding companies and men. "This is what he's been living on since he was a teenager, this is his nature, he's not going to change. Only the law can change that," she said.