Romance Blackmail Scams in France
Sextortion operations target French men and women through dating apps and social media, threatening intimate content disclosure to solicit crypto and bank-transfer payments.
Part of: Romance Blackmail Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Sextortion — 'chantage sexuel' — is among the most under-reported cybercrimes in France, with the Gendarmerie Nationale and Police Nationale estimating the actual figure far exceeds reported cases due to victim shame. French victims are targeted on Meetic, Tinder, Badoo and Instagram by criminal organisations using scripted approaches in fluent French.
The Centre Français de Lutte contre la Cybercriminalité (C3N) has documented sextortion cases where victims are targeted specifically based on their LinkedIn employment status — professionals in regulated industries (law, medicine, education) are considered higher-value targets because reputational damage threats are more credible.
How this scam works on France
An attractive stranger contacts the victim through a dating platform or social network and builds a brief but intense rapport. Within days, explicit communication is established and the victim is persuaded to share intimate images or join a video call. The criminal records or captures content.
A demand follows within hours from either the same account or a 'frère' (brother) or 'père' (father) character, threatening to send the content to the victim's professional contacts on LinkedIn unless a payment — typically €500–€2,000 in crypto or by virement — is received immediately. An escalating series of further demands follows any initial payment.
French victims have reported that criminals used the French professional social network Viadeo as well as LinkedIn to identify workplace contacts, maximising reputational leverage.
Common red flags
- Rapid escalation to intimate contact by someone met online
- Request to use a private link or unfamiliar app for video calls
- Threat from a third party after a video call, citing your professional network
- Demand for crypto or bank transfer to a foreign account within hours
- Threatening to contact your employer or family by name
- Continued escalating demands after any initial payment
How to protect yourself
- Do not share intimate images or join explicit video calls with online-only contacts
- Set LinkedIn and professional profiles to show only your job title, not your full contact list
- Do not pay — payment invariably leads to higher demands
- Screenshot all threatening messages before blocking
- Contact Gendarmerie's brigade numérique for online support before filing a formal report
How to report it
- Gendarmerie brigade numérique: gendarmerie.interieur.gouv.fr — online report for cyber-extortion
- Police Nationale: pre-plainte-en-ligne.service-public.fr
- Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr — incident support and specialist referrals
Frequently asked questions
Is sextortion a crime in France?
Yes. Sextortion constitutes 'chantage' under Article 312-10 of the Code Pénal, carrying up to five years imprisonment and €75,000 in fines. Contact the police without hesitation — you are the victim, not the perpetrator.