3 Quick Money Lessons from The Tinder Swindler

Consider it as a refresher course in what not to do

Tinder Swindler has come, gone, and left viewers in a haze of ‘wtf’ in its wake.

Between Shimon walking around free and his victims struggling to pay for his actions, swiping right has never looked more unattractive than right now.

The easiest thing to do would be to roast the women, however, that would be victim-blaming. They didn't deserve to be taken advantage of and truth be told, even the best and the smartest of us have fallen victim to scams.

In addition to making us question people’s motives, Tinder Swindler gives us a refresher course on invaluable money lessons that we can all learn;

Thou Shalt Not Take A Loan Out For Anybody

Watching these women take out loans for this dude in the name of love made me want to scratch my eyes out.

And I get it, under the headiness of love everything feels amazing like you are walking on air. The truth is love makes us do stupid and strange things like taking out a loan or sending large amounts of money to the people we love.

Prof. Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Oxford, theorizes that the rational parts of our brain shut down when we are in love.

Researchers using MRI scans also found that the frontal cortex which is responsible for judgment essentially shuts down when people fall in love. Your brain literally shuts off and suspends all critical thinking and doubts that are glaringly obvious to everyone else.

Ergo, love makes you stupid.

The moral of the story? If you are in love, maybe listen to your trusted friends and family members. Their eyes and ears see things that you don’t.

Appearances can be deceiving

Let’s face it, in a shallow world obsessed with outward appearances, opportunities and doors open to those who put on a show.

Thanks to the influencer culture and manifestation literature, smoke and mirrors have become a viable part of attracting what you want. The spiel is to get what you want, you gotta look the part. And we fall for it hook, line and sinker.

Think Jay-Z in his early blinged-out days. He was a broke rapper cosplaying as a rich one. Back then we believed he was balling.

This is why clocking the spending habits of someone you like or are attracted to is a great way to spot money red flags.

Yes, parties, fine dining, private jets, and luxurious holidays are ‘cool’.

However, if your potential love interest is in a habit of doing this on a daily/weekly basis, ask yourself if you really want to be tied down to someone with poor money habits. And then for the love of God run the other way.

Don’t be afraid to talk about money

Talking about money when you are dating, should not be taboo.

Most people think it is. To each their own.

And I get it, money like politics and sex is an emotional subject that can get the best of us. However, talking about money when dating can help you discover if you share similar value systems, or if a person’s spending habit might get out of control.

Whether the thought of talking about money makes your skin crawl or makes you roll your eyes, you can’t and shouldn’t run from it, because it can and will backfire.

I feel for Pernille, Cecile and Ayleen. No one should be taken advantage of in their genuine attempts to find love, or help a friend out.

But the thing is there will always be people like Shimon Hayut in the world and in our circles, ready to take advantage of people’s weaknesses. While their intentions may never be made known, what can do is try and play our part to mitigate potential financial harm.

If anything, consider The Tinder Swindler a refresher course on how to cover your money blind spots.