Romance Blackmail Scams in Colombia
How sextortion operations target Colombian victims through fake online relationships and threats of content exposure.
Part of: Romance Blackmail Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Sextortion and romance blackmail scams are a well-reported digital crime in Colombia, with organised criminal groups running large-scale operations that target victims across Latin America and internationally. Colombian victims encounter these scams on social media platforms and dating apps, where fabricated personas build emotional investment before pivoting to threats.
The Policía Nacional's CAI Virtual (Centro de Atención Inmediata Virtual) provides a dedicated channel for reporting these crimes and has conducted operations against domestic sextortion networks.
How this scam works on Colombia
Scammers create convincing profiles on Instagram, Tinder, and Facebook and initiate contact with Colombian victims. The relationship escalates over days or weeks — sometimes through video calls using pre-recorded material — to intimate exchanges. The scammer then threatens to share content with the victim's contacts, employer, or family unless payment is made.
In Colombia, these operations sometimes involve criminal groups who use social engineering alongside genuine emotional manipulation. Payment is demanded via Nequi, Daviplata, or bank transfer — local payment systems that make the request feel domestic.
The Fiscalía and Policía Nacional have pursued prosecutions under Colombia's cybercrime statutes, but international operations remain difficult to disrupt.
Common red flags
- New contact on social media or a dating app who escalates to intimacy very quickly
- Threats appear immediately after any intimate exchange
- Scammer references specific friends, family, or colleagues from your social media profiles
- Payment demanded via Nequi or Daviplata within hours of the threat
- Promise to delete content if paid once — invariably followed by further demands
How to protect yourself
- Never share intimate content with someone you have not met in person
- Do not pay — payment confirms willingness to pay and prolongs the extortion
- Block the scammer and preserve all evidence before filing a report
- Contact the CAI Virtual or a lawyer immediately — reporting is confidential
How to report it
- Report online at caivirtual.policia.gov.co — CAI Virtual handles cybercrime complaints 24 hours
- File a formal complaint with the Fiscalía using the online reporting system
- Report fake profiles to the social media platform using its abuse reporting tools
Frequently asked questions
Is sextortion a criminal offence in Colombia?
Yes. Colombia's Penal Code and cybercrime statutes criminalise online extortion and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images. Victims should report to the Fiscalía and the Policía Nacional's CAI Virtual. Reporting is confidential and the laws target the perpetrator — victims have legal protections against the wrongful disclosure of their identity in proceedings.