The Tinder Swindler (Netflix)

[Fordy62]

Sometimes you’ve just got to doff your cap to someone who’s incredibly good at what they do and this bloke is brilliant. 

Imagine simultaneously dating (sleeping with) a lot of very attractive women while at the same time making a millionaire living out of it. 

Worth a watch!

[TonyTonyTony]

Its a good documentary - made by the same people who did the dont **** with cats series i believe - but the bloke is a total knob. He deserves a big slice of karma. 

[PHILINFRANCE]

35 minutes ago, Fordy62 said:

Sometimes you’ve just got to doff your cap to someone who’s incredibly good at what they do and this bloke is brilliant. 

Imagine simultaneously dating (sleeping with) a lot of very attractive women while at the same time making a millionaire living out of it. 

Worth a watch!

A Rolex, presumably .

How's your calf, by the way.

Edited February 10, 2022 by PHILINFRANCE

[Red-Robbo]

It reminded me of the programme about Robert Freegarde - the bloke who persuaded three agricultural college students he was an MI5 spy - and who basically got them to syphon money from their families to him and kept the con going for 10 years. Simultaneously, he was doing romantic cons on all sorts of women across the country.  He wasn't anything particular to look at,  much like the "Simon Leviev" guy.

It seems part of how these conmen work is by creating a state of hysteria and nervousness among their marks.  Freegarde told his a Real IRA hit squad was looking for them and him; the Tinder Conman used a pretend attack on his bodyguard and said his life and "fortune"  was at risk from Russian mafia figures.

There's an interesting psychological study to be done here in how anxiety is linked to gullibility. 

[Fordy62]

21 minutes ago, PHILINFRANCE said:

A Rolex, presumably .

How's your calf, by the way.

Alright thank you. Still very sore but I think it’s the lowest grade of tear so hopefully back to full fitness in 2-3 weeks. Which is good as today marks a 1st loss since 10/1!

Edited February 10, 2022 by Fordy62

[Nbafc]

On 10/02/2022 at 07:46, Red-Robbo said:

There's an interesting psychological study to be done here in how anxiety is linked to gullibility 

I know what you're saying but that's an incredibly harsh word for women that were targeted, professionally manipulated by a highly skilled & experienced psychopath, sociopath & God knows what else.

Any study should of course be done on how we produce wastes of oxygen like Leviev and how the hell we allow them to get away with it. Even after they're banged to rights.

[Red-Robbo]

Just now, Nbafc said:

I know what you're saying but that's an incredibly harsh word for women that were targeted, professionally manipulated by a highly skilled & experienced psychopath, sociopath & God knows what else.

Any study should of course be done on how we produce wastes of oxygen like Leviev and how the hell we allow them to get away with it. Even after they're banged to rights.

 

I think they themselves would say they have been gullible. That doesn't mean they were idiots: the women featured are all smart professional women who've obviously had decent careers going on. 

What I was trying to explore is how rational people can be talked into doing things. If they stood back and really thought these cons over they'd realise they are being foolish, but because they are kept in an artificial state of anxiety and worry they are literally not given time to think. It's the old fear clogging the brainwaves thing. A master conman can use that fear. Freegarde-Hendy told his victims his and then their lives were in danger. He made them do ridiculous things, largely for his own amusement. 

I certainly don't want to sound victim shaming. I was just interested in the psychology. Not all such victims were female. Freegarde-Hendy kept at least two blokes as psychological captives. 

[mozo]

9 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

I think they themselves would say they have been gullible. That doesn't mean they were idiots: the women featured are all smart professional women who've obviously had decent careers going on. 

What I was trying to explore is how rational people can be talked into doing things. If they stood back and really thought these cons over they'd realise they are being foolish, but because they are kept in an artificial state of anxiety and worry they are literally not given time to think. It's the old fear clogging the brainwaves thing. A master conman can use that fear. Freegarde-Hendy told his victims his and then their lives were in danger. He made them do ridiculous things, largely for his own amusement. 

I certainly don't want to sound victim shaming. I was just interested in the psychology. Not all such victims were female. Freegarde-Hendy kept at least two blokes as psychological captives. 

What you haven't mentioned is the fact that the genius of a Tinder con is that the fraudsters is targeting emotionally vulnerable women. People are less likely to be rational when the 'heart' is doing their thinking. 

The other aspect is the allure of luxury and the status that it brings. These people were seduced by a lifestyle as much (possibly more) than by the man himself, who let's face it didn't seem as charismatic as his pictures.

The women were given a dilemma; do they walk away from the prize of a life of glamour and fortune or take a very expensive leap of faith and gamble that the guy is genuinely their golden ticket?

I guess some people are gamblers and some aren't. 

[Red-Robbo]

2 hours ago, mozo said:

What you haven't mentioned is the fact that the genius of a Tinder con is that the fraudsters is targeting emotionally vulnerable women. People are less likely to be rational when the 'heart' is doing their thinking. 

The other aspect is the allure of luxury and the status that it brings. These people were seduced by a lifestyle as much (possibly more) than by the man himself, who let's face it didn't seem as charismatic as his pictures.

The women were given a dilemma; do they walk away from the prize of a life of glamour and fortune or take a very expensive leap of faith and gamble that the guy is genuinely their golden ticket?

I guess some people are gamblers and some aren't. 

 

Well, I thought that was the more obvious area of the con. I dunno if they were emotionally vulnerable: I wouldn't imagine any of them struggled to get a date.

The fiction that he was a billionaire's son was integral though: not only did it pique their initial interest, but it helped reassure them when he started asking for money. 

[Nbafc]

22 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

I think they themselves would say they have been gullible. That doesn't mean they were idiots: the women featured are all smart professional women who've obviously had decent careers going on. 

What I was trying to explore is how rational people can be talked into doing things. If they stood back and really thought these cons over they'd realise they are being foolish, but because they are kept in an artificial state of anxiety and worry they are literally not given time to think. It's the old fear clogging the brainwaves thing. A master conman can use that fear. Freegarde-Hendy told his victims his and then their lives were in danger. He made them do ridiculous things, largely for his own amusement. 

I certainly don't want to sound victim shaming. I was just interested in the psychology. Not all such victims were female. Freegarde-Hendy kept at least two blokes as psychological captives. 

Yes apols - you've been one of my favourite posters for years and I realised you had a valid point, and not shaming. 

The bit I highlighted I think is key. If I've had a couple of nights of rough sleep I definitely find life harder. If you're under the pressures you mention bad decisions are easily made, and compounded. 

Absolutely enraged this slime not only got away with it, but continued with his crimes after his 5 month term.

[Red-Robbo]

6 minutes ago, Nbafc said:

Yes apols - you've been one of my favourite posters for years and I realised you had a valid point, and not shaming. 

The bit I highlighted I think is key. If I've had a couple of nights of rough sleep I definitely find life harder. If you're under the pressures you mention bad decisions are easily made, and compounded. 

Absolutely enraged this slime not only got away with it, but continued with his crimes after his 5 month term.

 

Try to dig out the Freegarde-Hendy doc on Netflix.  He wasn't as sophisticated as the Israeli fella, but his cons were more extreme.

He also served little time considering the harm he did, and is out currently doing the same crime to another wealthy widow.