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The Tinder Swindler: Our Fascination with the Suffering of Others
Pop culture often romanticizes con artists, overlooking the devastation they cause. True crime and ‘art of the con’ fans are flocking to Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler. As Erin Jensen (2022) points out, serves up a topic sure to attract attention: a “reality” show that combines dating, glamour and riches, cons, broken hearts, and the desire for revenge. But should the defrauding of women be entertainment, or does it make us sadder but wiser?
When you describe it like that, it seems hard to resist. But, the reality is disappointing. Not the show as much as the facts. Despite defrauding a series of women out of an estimated $10 million, the con man, Simon Leviev, was only sentenced to 15 months, was out after five, and is currently back on social media, including Tinder, the same site where these women were duped. Meanwhile, the women brave enough to come forward and tell their story remain in debt, their self-esteem in shambles and little to show of the promised revenge. So, why do we watch?
Humans are social animals and are interested in what happens to others. It’s part practical, part empathetic. When we see something like the Tinder Swindler con, we instinctively want to know what happened, so we can determine our risk of a similar event and, more importantly, learn how to keep from being conned ourselves…
