Fake Online Partner Scams in Norway
Fraudsters construct false romantic relationships with Norwegian residents on dating apps to extract NOK and personal data before disappearing.
Part of: Fake Online Partners
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Romance fraud — where scammers build extended false relationships to extract money — is a significant problem in Norway. Victims, including men and women across a wide age range, develop what feels like a genuine connection over weeks or months before requests for NOK begin. Kripos and the Norwegian Consumer Council document rising romance-fraud losses, often running into hundreds of thousands of NOK per victim.
Norway's long winter months and the normalisation of online dating make digital relationships commonplace, reducing the early suspicion that might otherwise protect victims.
How this scam works on Norway
A scammer creates a compelling dating-app or Facebook profile, often posing as an attractive Norwegian-speaking offshore worker, engineer, or military professional. Over several weeks, deep emotional intimacy is established through daily communication.
A crisis eventually arises — medical emergency, customs hold on a valuable shipment, emergency flight home — requiring an urgent NOK transfer via Vipps or bank transfer. Once sent, a new crisis emerges. Victims often send money multiple times before doubt sets in.
In some cases, scammers obtain intimate photos or personal information during the relationship and later use these for blackmail (romance blackmail).
Common red flags
- Dating-app contact who avoids in-person meetings citing offshore work or military deployment
- Relationship that intensifies very rapidly with frequent messages and declarations of deep feelings
- Financial request following an invented emergency, always urgent
- Request for Vipps or bank transfer to a personal account rather than a verified business
- Profile photos pass as real but context clues are inconsistent with claimed identity
- Scammer becomes evasive or aggressive when asked for video verification on short notice
How to protect yourself
- Conduct an unscheduled video call before developing emotional investment in an online contact
- Reverse-image search all profile photos before deepening the relationship
- Never send NOK to someone you have not met in person, regardless of the apparent emergency
- Discuss any online relationship involving financial requests with a trusted person
- Report concerns to Kripos at tips.kripos.no before money is sent
- Seek support from Forbrukerrådet or a counsellor if you have been victimised
How to report it
- Report to Kripos at tips.kripos.no
- File a police report at politiet.no
- Contact Forbrukerrådet at forbrukerradet.no for guidance
Frequently asked questions
Are Norwegian offshore workers common targets for romance scam impersonation?
Yes. The Norwegian oil industry provides a culturally plausible cover story for scammers explaining an inability to meet in person. Always verify through an unannounced video call and check employment claims independently.