Romance Blackmail Scams in Tunisia
Sextortion scammers target Tunisian men and women through fake online relationships, threatening to share intimate content with family and employers unless money is paid.
Part of: Romance Blackmail Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Romance blackmail — often called sextortion — is a serious and growing problem in Tunisia. Scammers, sometimes operating from within North Africa and sometimes from further afield, cultivate online relationships specifically to obtain compromising images or videos that can then be used as leverage for extortion.
In a society where personal reputation and family honour carry significant weight, the threat of exposure is particularly powerful. Victims often pay repeatedly rather than risk public humiliation, and many cases go unreported to avoid scrutiny.
How this scam works on Tunisia
Tunisian victims most commonly encounter sextortion via Facebook Messenger or Instagram DMs. A new contact — typically presenting as an attractive person of a compatible age — quickly escalates the conversation to video calls and encourages the victim to share intimate images. The 'person' on the other end is often a pre-recorded video loop or an AI-generated image, and the scammer records the victim without consent.
Within hours or days, the victim receives a message threatening to send the content to all their Facebook friends, family members, or employer contacts unless a payment is made immediately via Western Union, money transfer, or cryptocurrency.
In some cases, scammers have targeted Tunisian men by posing as a foreign woman interested in starting a relationship, then involve a fake 'brother' or 'father' who claims the victim has dishonoured the family and must pay compensation.
Common red flags
- New online contact escalates to intimate conversation unusually quickly
- Refuses or avoids live, unscripted video interaction
- Threat to share content arrives very soon after intimate exchange
- Payment demanded via untraceable methods — wire transfer, crypto, or gift cards
- Multiple follow-up demands even after initial payment
- Threatens to contact named family members or employers specifically
How to protect yourself
- Never share intimate images with anyone you have not met in person and fully trust
- Be cautious of new online contacts who rapidly steer conversations toward intimacy
- If threatened, stop all payments immediately — paying rarely stops the demands
- Screenshot all threatening messages as evidence before blocking the account
- Contact a trusted person and seek support — you are the victim of a crime, not the perpetrator
How to report it
- Report to the BNIT cybercrime unit with full conversation logs and screenshots
- Report the account to the platform (Facebook, Instagram) so it can be removed
- Seek support from Tunisian civil society organisations that support digital-violence victims
Frequently asked questions
Will paying the sextortion demand make it stop in Tunisia?
No. Payment signals that you will comply and almost always leads to further demands. Stop contact, preserve evidence, and report to authorities.