Three shows to watch if you enjoyed ‘The Tinder Swindler’

Netflix docu-series The Tinder Swindler has taken the world by storm.

The series tells the story of a group of women who were the victims of a dating-app based swindler named Shimon Yehuda Hayut, from Israel.

After finding out that his real name was not Simon Leviev and that he was not the son of a diamond industry billionaire as he had claimed, the women join together in an attempt to hunt The Tinder Swindler down, warn others of his scam and recover the millions of dollars that were stolen from them.

A lot has been said about the show, with opinions varying from “Simon was wrong” to “serves these women right for falling for material things” but one common thread remains, audiences are fascinated by the story of this compulsive liar.

However, a quick look at the other shows that Netflix has on offer shows that The Tinder Swindler is not alone.

What to watch on Netflix?

If you enjoyed the story of Simon Leviev and how his world came tumbling down, you might enjoy these shows currently streaming on Netflix.

Inventing Anna

Inventing Anna is a drama series from Shondaland that follows the tale of a journalist as she investigates the case of Anna Delvey, the Instagram-legendary heiress who stole the hearts and money of New York elites.

Although Inventing Anna is a drama series and the story is told by actors, it is based on the true story of Anna Sorokin.

According to her Wikipedia page, Sorokin is a Russian-German convicted fraudster.

While living in America between 2013 and 2017, she pretended to be a wealthy German heiress under the name Anna Delvey.

During that time, she attempted to defraud banks, hotels, and wealthy acquaintances, much like The Tinder Swindler.

She was convicted of multiple counts of attempted grand larceny, larceny in the second degree, and theft of services in relation to these offenses in 2019.

Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator is a documentary that is just over one hour long and in it, filmmaker Eva Orner examines the dramatic rise and fall of hot yoga founder, Bikram Choudhury.

Yogi Bikram Choudhury was at the forefront of popularizing yoga in North America and around the world between the 70s and the 90s.

Choudhury was hailed for his teaching style which was described as tough love sprinkled with salty language and punctuated by spontaneous bursts of singing.

Often compared to a cult, the yogi’s followers hailed him for helping them to gain confidence, lose weight, and overcome physical ailments through his speciality of hot yoga and innate understanding of the human body. It was off his expertise and personality that he built a franchise empire with hundreds of Bikram studios around the world.

Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator traces Choudhury from his rise in the 1970s to his disgrace in accusations of rape and sexual harassment in more recent years.

The film’s producer tapped into a vast trove of archival footage that demonstrates Choudhury’s charm and offers clues to his dark side. Orner conducted extensive interviews with his one-time acolytes who now feel betrayed, including yoga devotee Sarah Baughn who brought serious charges against him years before the reckoning of the #MeToo movement, and Choudhury’s long-time lawyer Micki Jafa-Bodden who won a case against him.

Overall, the film raises larger questions about the nature of leaders and followers and the corruption of messianic figures. Unlike The Tinder Swindler and Anna Sorokin, Choudhury did not necessarily scam people out of money. He was, however, also exposed as a compulsive liar.

The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman

Speaking of compulsive liars, The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman sees a man named Robert Freegard join the ranks of Leveiv and Sorokin. 

The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman is a three-part series that tells the jaw-dropping story of one of the world’s most audacious conmen who was convicted in 2005 for stealing fortunes and destroying multiple lives.

In an incredible twist, the story has ties to the present day as a desperate family who fear for their mother’s safety shares their experiences with Freegard, a man who masqueraded as a British spy for years. 

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