Romance Blackmail Scams in Finland
Sextortion rings befriend Finnish users on dating apps and social media, obtain intimate images, then threaten to expose them to family and colleagues unless paid.
Part of: Romance Blackmail Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Romance blackmail — sextortion — targets people across Finland who use dating apps and social platforms to meet new partners. A scammer posing as an attractive stranger builds quick intimacy, encourages the exchange of explicit images or video, then turns hostile and demands payment to keep the material private.
Finnish victims, including teenagers and adult professionals, are often caught off guard by how fast the relationship escalates and how confidently the blackmailer references their workplace and contacts. The shame and fear involved mean many cases go unreported.
How this scam works on Finland
Contact begins on Tinder, Instagram, or Snapchat with a profile built from stolen photos. After flattering, affectionate messaging, the scammer suggests moving to video chat or sharing intimate photos. As soon as usable material exists, the tone changes abruptly: the scammer claims to have recorded everything and demands payment, usually in gift cards, crypto, or a fast bank transfer, within a few hours.
The blackmailer often shows the victim a list of their Finnish Facebook or LinkedIn connections to prove the threat is real. Paying does not end it — demands escalate, and some victims receive doctored images designed to appear more compromising.
Many operations are run from abroad, splitting the romantic persona, payment collection, and threats across different people, which complicates investigation by Finnish police.
Common red flags
- A new match who is unusually attractive and pushes for intimacy or explicit content very fast
- A request to move quickly to private video chat or to exchange intimate images
- A sudden shift from affection to threats once images have been shared
- Demands for payment via gift cards, crypto, or instant transfer within a tight deadline
- The scammer showing a list of your contacts as proof they can expose you
- Claims that images have already been sent to some contacts as a 'sample'
- Refusal to ever meet in person or verify their identity on a live, unscripted call
How to protect yourself
- Never share intimate images with someone you have not met and verified in person
- Reverse-image-search profile photos at the first sign of fast-moving pressure
- Do not pay — payment confirms you will respond and almost never ends the demands
- Screenshot threats and preserve evidence before blocking the account
- Tighten social-media privacy so your contact lists are not publicly visible
- Talk to a trusted person or support service — you are not at fault and not alone
How to report it
- Report to the Finnish Police via poliisi.fi with screenshots and any payment references
- Report the profile to the platform where contact was made — most have sextortion abuse teams
- Use the Stop NCII service to have intimate images hashed and blocked on participating platforms
Frequently asked questions
Will the blackmailer release the images if I refuse to pay?
Sometimes they make threats but do not follow through, and paying rarely stops them either way. Security experts advise not paying, reporting to the Finnish Police immediately, securing your accounts, and using services like Stop NCII to limit the spread of any images.