Romance Blackmail Scams in Sri Lanka
Sextortion and online romance fraud in Sri Lanka, targeting men on social media with cultural shame amplifying compliance.
Part of: Romance Blackmail Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Sextortion scams operate across Sri Lanka, with victims — predominantly men — lured into intimate video calls and then blackmailed with screenshots. The scam exploits strong cultural sensitivities around sexual reputation, making victims highly unlikely to seek help from family, employers, or police.
Sri Lankan victims have reported threats to distribute compromising images to Facebook friends lists, WhatsApp contacts, or workplace colleagues — a potent threat in a society where such exposure can cause severe social and professional harm.
How this scam works on Sri Lanka
A fake female profile on Facebook or an Instagram account makes contact, flatters the target, and steers the conversation toward WhatsApp video calls within days. During the call, pre-recorded footage of an attractive woman is shown while the scammer captures footage of the victim. Payment is demanded in LKR via mobile banking apps or overseas accounts.
In Sri Lanka, the amounts demanded are typically sized to match a local salary — LKR [amount] — to maximise compliance. Victims are contacted repeatedly after initial payment with fresh demands, since payment signals willingness to pay again.
Some operations are run by organised groups in neighbouring countries, using virtual Sri Lankan phone numbers to appear local.
Common red flags
- Attractive stranger contacts you on social media with immediate interest in your personal life
- Communication moves very quickly toward intimate topics and video calls
- Profile has few tagged posts and photos that reverse-image-search to other people
- Demand for LKR payment via mobile banking within 24 hours
- Threat to send content to specifically named friends or your employer
How to protect yourself
- Do not share intimate images or personal information with people you have not met in person
- If targeted, do not pay — report to police instead and document everything
- Lock down your Facebook friends list to reduce the scammer's leverage
- Inform a trusted contact proactively so a surprise revelation cannot be weaponised
- Contact the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) for support
- Seek help from a lawyer — in most cases no law has been broken by the victim
How to report it
- Report to Sri Lanka Police Cybercrime Division at cybercrime.police.lk
- File with SLCERT at cert.gov.lk for technical assistance and platform takedowns
- Report the profile to Facebook or Instagram using the in-app reporting tools
Frequently asked questions
Will Sri Lanka Police keep a sextortion report confidential?
Sri Lanka Police cybercrime units are trained to handle these cases sensitively. While absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed within the system, reporting is still strongly recommended — it is the only path to stopping the scammer and potentially recovering losses.