Tory MP was sent nudes in attempted parliamentary ‘honeypot’ sexting scandal
The MP for Bosworth spoke of being 'cyber-flashed' in an attempt to ensnare him in a honeypot scam.
A second Conservative MP has claimed to have been targeted in a parliamentary honeytrap sexting scam, as the Met Police open an investigation into ‘unsolicited messages’.
On Friday, Bosworth MP Dr Luke Evans said he was the victim of ‘cyber flashing’ and was the member who first alerted police to the issue.
He joins Conservative colleague William Wragg who also said he had been targeted by a number sending unsolicited explicit images and messages over WhatsApp.
Mr Wragg said on Thursday he was ‘manipulated’ into giving the personal phone numbers of colleagues to a man he met on a gay dating app.
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they have opened an investigation and are in contact with Leicestershire Police and Parliamentary Security amid concerns other MPs and their staff could be victims of blackmail.
A statement from the force read: ‘Officers from the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command are carrying out an investigation following reports that a number of unsolicited messages were sent to MPs over recent months.
‘We are working closely with other forces and are in contact with colleagues in Parliamentary Security, who are providing support and advice around anyone affected.’
In a video posted to Facebook on Friday, Dr Evans said: ‘A month ago I was a victim of cyber flashing and malicious communications and blew the whistle by reporting it to the police and the parliamentary authorities as soon as this happened.
‘The first set of messages I got was on a day I was with my wife and I got a one time open photo on WhatsApp of an explicit image of a naked lady. As soon as I got these the next day I reported it to the police, the authorities and the chief whip.
‘Ten days later I got another set of messages, this time however, I was sat with my team in the constituency office, so we were able to record the conversation and catch photos and videos of the messages coming through including another explicit female image.
‘Why am I talking about this now? Well, I actually wanted it to be private because it’s an ongoing police investigation, it’s been ongoing for a month but you’ve probably seen in the national media, I’ve been hounded by journalists asking me about it, It’s not too difficult to work out there are only a few Leicestershire MPs so I put my name up to say, “well, I hope others come forward”.
‘I’m just pleased I blew the whistle, reported it to the authorities and it’s now being looked into.’
Mr Wragg told the Times he was ‘scared’ because the man had compromising information on him.
The MP for Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester said he was sorry for his ‘weakness’, which has caused hurt for other people.
He said: ‘They had compromising things on me. They wouldn’t leave me alone. They would ask for people.
‘I gave them some numbers, not all of them. I told him to stop. He’s manipulated me and now I’ve hurt other people.’
Earlier this week, it was disclosed that a number of politicians had been contacted by a person who would allege that they had previously met.
The honeytrap sexting scam has been described as ‘spear phishing’, a type of cyber attack that targets specific groups.
Spear phishing involves scammers pretending to be trusted senders in order to steal personal or sensitive information.
A Parliamentary spokesperson said: ‘Parliament takes security extremely seriously and works closely with the government and the police in response to such incidents.
‘We provide Members and staff with tailored advice, making them aware of security risks and how to manage their digital safety.
They added: ‘We urge any passholders in receipt of suspicious messages to contact the Metropolitan Police’s Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team (PLaIT) directly.’
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