William Wragg, a prominent Tory MP, has come clean about his history of exchanging personal information with a companion he met via an online dating service. Because the person had “compromising things on him,” Wragg was “scared” and apologized for the harm he had caused others due to his frailty.
In 2015, Wragg was elected to represent the Hazel Grove district in Greater Manchester. He later indicated that he will not be seeking reelection in 2022. On Thursday, a former member of parliament expressed his dismay to the BBC about becoming the apparent subject of a concerted fraud, including graphic images and flirty texts.
His apology happened after news broke that twelve males in Westminster had received explicit photos and messages without their consent. According to an ex-MP who spoke with the BBC, he was targeted in the alleged honeytrap operation.
Twelve men claim to have gotten messages almost identical to the one the ex-MP got. A few of the 12 were lured in by sending them photos of themselves undressed. For the first time on the evening of 11 March, the homosexual former member of parliament said to the BBC he was approached over WhatsApp. Someone identifying as Charlie contacted them, claiming to recall them from their time together in Parliament, and the number was unfamiliar.
According to BBC News, a political journalist was also contacted by someone identifying themselves as “Charlie” using the same phone number. In addition to inquiring about the journalist’s current relationship status, these texts often mention that the receiver is being “missed” in Westminster. According to the ex-MP, it is concerning that someone attempted this and likely had malicious intentions. They believe that other people will come forward by drawing attention to the incident.
According to Wragg, this is “not the first” occurrence of its sort, and he is concerned that such tactics, like honeytraps, hacks, and phishing, are an inevitable feature of contemporary politics. According to a spokesman, Parliament works closely with the administration in reaction to these situations and takes security very seriously.
They educate members and employees on potential security threats and offer personalized guidance on protecting themselves online.