Senior Tory MP’s Admission
Senior Tory MP William Wragg expressed regret after providing personal phone numbers of colleagues to an individual he met on the dating app Grindr, who later used this information in a honey trap scenario.
Details of the Incident
Wragg shared that he engaged in conversation with a man on the app, exchanged pictures, and planned to meet for drinks. However, the meeting did not materialize, and the man began requesting contact numbers of other individuals. Feeling pressured due to potential compromising information held by the man, Wragg shared the numbers, including a WhatsApp number that is no longer active.
Scope of the Attack
A report revealed that several Members of Parliament (MPs) were targeted in a spear-phishing attack, with six men, including staffers, a political journalist, and a senior Labour MP, receiving unsolicited WhatsApp messages from suspicious numbers between October 2023 and February of the following year.
- 13 men received such messages
- 5 individuals reported the messages to the Parliamentary Security Department
Modus Operandi of the Sender
The sender of the messages, identified as “Abi” or “Charlie,” initiated conversations by claiming to have met the recipients at political events or venues. They often feigned embarrassment at not being remembered and made personalized references to the victims’ appearances at political gatherings and drinking establishments in the UK.
- In some instances, the sender alleged a previous flirtatious interaction with the recipient
- Explicit images were sent in certain conversations
Response and Investigation
House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle informed MPs and staff that the Parliament Security Department, in collaboration with government partners, is analyzing the messages and assessing any associated security risks. Concurrently, the police have initiated an investigation into the incident.
