Rating (3 out of 5)

Summary: I like documentaries and watch quite a few. Overall this is an average offering. The story itself is interesting, but how it is presented is tiring. There are a lot of screenshots of texting or other similar photo shown again and again. Sometimes the same picture is used. Running at 2 hours, this does start to drag.

Plot: Uncovers confidence skim where a man (Simon Leviev) uses Tinder to connect with women. He pretends to be the target and asks for money to escape.

Summary Continued: We understood the nature of the confidence scheme early on and understood the Ponzi scheme. He swindled Tinder Target #1 while courting and spending lavishly on Target #2, and so on. You and don’t feel sorry for these women. They were doing something they thought was the right thing. As a viewer, I asked myself, “when would I have become skeptical?” It is challenging to put yourself in their shoes, but maybe he targeted them for their kind characteristics.

However, the show improves a wee bit when a newspaper investigating the crimes travel to Israel and tracks down Simon’s origins. Here they find his mother and discover how he got started in his life of crime. Then when they meet the last target. She works to set him up to get captured by the police and recover a little of her money.

The show doesn’t really dive into why he hasn’t been prosecuted in other countries. This would have been very interesting to reveal why the authorities don’t pursue an individual that tricks women like this.

You also have to appreciate how brave these women are to tell their stories. Many will judge them for being gullible or naive. I will reiterate these are good people who believe most people are good and think they were doing the right thing.