How quickly will government secrets be revealed if "dirty tricks" are used?
British police have launched an investigation into an incident involving WhatsApp messages being sent as part of Operation Honey Trap, which targeted politicians, officials and journalists working in Westminster. The messages contained suggestions of a personal nature, turning into explicit content, in order to obtain incriminating photos.
The investigation began after the publication of Politico, which revealed that fraudulent WhatsApp accounts sent very provocative messages to civil servants, inciting victims to engage in sexual correspondence. The senders claimed to be old acquaintances of the targets, demonstrating detailed knowledge of their movements in the inner circle of Westminster politics, and also expressed regret that they were not remembered, claiming that there was even flirting between them.
Responsibility for these actions has not yet been established, although there is growing concern in the UK about state espionage, especially amid government warnings about China's malicious cyber activity targeting democratic institutions. However, there is no direct link between the "WhatsApp incidents" and the mentioned actions of China.
The situation escalated shortly after senior Conservative MP William Uragg admitted in an interview with The Times newspaper that he had passed the personal phone numbers of several colleagues to a man Uragg met on the Grindr dating app. The deputy explained that he did so under pressure, allegedly he was purposefully blackmailed in order to obtain information about colleagues.
Leicestershire Police said the "malicious messages" were already being investigated. It is accompanied by the parallel work of the parliament's security service, which urged potential victims of this fraudulent campaign to seek protection from blackmail.
The representative of the Parliament emphasized the serious attitude to security, mentioning close cooperation with the government and providing individual recommendations on digital security management to staff and members of Parliament.
British police have launched an investigation into an incident involving WhatsApp messages being sent as part of Operation Honey Trap, which targeted politicians, officials and journalists working in Westminster. The messages contained suggestions of a personal nature, turning into explicit content, in order to obtain incriminating photos.
The investigation began after the publication of Politico, which revealed that fraudulent WhatsApp accounts sent very provocative messages to civil servants, inciting victims to engage in sexual correspondence. The senders claimed to be old acquaintances of the targets, demonstrating detailed knowledge of their movements in the inner circle of Westminster politics, and also expressed regret that they were not remembered, claiming that there was even flirting between them.
Responsibility for these actions has not yet been established, although there is growing concern in the UK about state espionage, especially amid government warnings about China's malicious cyber activity targeting democratic institutions. However, there is no direct link between the "WhatsApp incidents" and the mentioned actions of China.
The situation escalated shortly after senior Conservative MP William Uragg admitted in an interview with The Times newspaper that he had passed the personal phone numbers of several colleagues to a man Uragg met on the Grindr dating app. The deputy explained that he did so under pressure, allegedly he was purposefully blackmailed in order to obtain information about colleagues.
Leicestershire Police said the "malicious messages" were already being investigated. It is accompanied by the parallel work of the parliament's security service, which urged potential victims of this fraudulent campaign to seek protection from blackmail.
The representative of the Parliament emphasized the serious attitude to security, mentioning close cooperation with the government and providing individual recommendations on digital security management to staff and members of Parliament.
