Police in Helsinki said they have received an increasing number of reports of minors being asked for nude photos or videos, after which the material is used to extort money from them.
In a statement issued on Monday, the department noted that several of the reported cases have followed a very similar pattern, with the suspect communicating online with the victim in a friendly or familiar tone, and even sharing a nude photo with the victim.
Police said the suspect then asks the victim for a nude photo or video, and after receiving the material the suspect starts demanding money, threatening to share the photo or video with all of the victim's followers if payment is not made.
The victims are then instructed to transfer the funds through various payment services.
Police believe the suspect or suspects use several different fake profiles and contact victims through different social media channels.
"What is common in these cases is that the motive does not appear to be sexual but financial. The recent cases brought to the attention of the police are therefore different from so-called grooming cases," Detective Inspector Jutta Antikainen said in the statement.
Antikainen added that the perpetrators often appear to be contacting victims from abroad, and usually communicate in English.
The victims include both girls and boys, but police believe it is unlikely that all such incidents are being reported.
However, if incidents like this occur, police advised potential victims to report them to a trusted adult as quickly as possible, to record all of the conversations with the suspects, and to file a police report.
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