Online scamming has become an increasingly problematic issue in the US – from emails about the African king needing money to being DM’d daily out of $500. With social media being a ubiquitous element in the daily lives of Americans, it is becoming easier to be conned. The quickest way to live a dream life is to scam for people like Simon Leviev and Anna Delvey. Netflix released two Netflix Originals about people falling victim to fraudulent schemes. The Tinder Swindler is a documentary while Inventing Anna is a biopic on Anna Delvey.

The Tinder Swindler

The Tinder Swindler depicts three different women who are trying to find Simon Leviev, a man who met them on the dating app Tinder. He enticed them with his profile that showcased a rich life of trips around the world, a private jet, and luxury cars. Once these women would swipe right on their phones, they would become a match. Simon and his victims would start messaging on WhatsApp and set up a date where they could meet in person. These dates would be lavish, and he would charm them with his extravagant lifestyle. After about a month of dating he would start asking them for money because his supposed “enemies” were after him. He would encourage the women to give him their credit cards so he could max them out. Afterwards, he would ask his girlfriends to take out a loan that would plunge them into severe debt. He would ruin their friendships, relationships with loved ones, and financial status, while stealing an estimated sum of $10 million worldwide. Leviev is currently out of prison and lives in Israel.

Inventing Anna

Inventing Anna tells the story of a journalist trying to uncover the lies in the case of a woman named Anna Sorokin. This Russian native was a New York socialite who had claimed to be a German heiress named Anna Delvey. She scammed elites, hotels, and banks out of thousands of dollars, so she could keep up with her lifestyle. Her fraudulent activities spanned from 2013 to 2017, which landed her prison for nearly four years.  Journalist Vivian uncovered the lies by doing a deep dive into everyone Anna stole from and even visited her in jail. Viewers get to experience all of the perspectives such as from Vivian, Anna, and everyone involved in the case. The most shocking fact is that Anna Sorokin got $320,000 for the movie rights to Inventing Anna, which she is using to pay off her massive debts. She is currently detained in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for overstaying her visa.