LONDON (AP) – A senior Conservative party was accused of sexting fraud Friday after admitting he had disclosed the personal phone numbers of some colleagues to unknown persons who had material that would cause him “harm.” British MPs who may have been targeted have been urged to go to the police.
William Wragg, chairman of Parliament’s Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, told the Times of London that he called a man he met on a gay dating app after he sent intimate photos of himself. He said he gave him his number.
Ms Wragg, 36, told The Times the man had been “harmful” to her, had “scared” her and “manipulated” her into giving her co-worker’s number to a stranger he met in Glyndwr. He said that he was attacked.
What William Wragg did should not be tolerated. pic.twitter.com/dSZXvQ5htk
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) April 5, 2024
“I gave them some numbers, but not all,” he said. “I chatted with a guy on an app and exchanged photos. We were supposed to meet for drinks but we ended up not. Then he started asking for a number of people. I was worried because I had something with him. He gave me his WhatsApp number but I can’t use it now. I have hurt people because of my weakness. I am scared. It’s frustrating.”
Finance Minister Gareth Davies called on victims to go to police.
“Will Wragg has duly apologized for his actions, but I think it’s clear to anyone listening to his situation that people’s reactions have been mixed,” he told Sky News. .
Honeytrap sexting scams are known as “spear phishing,” a type of cyberattack that targets specific groups. It involves scammers impersonating trusted senders in order to steal personal and sensitive information.
Wragg’s revelations came after days of speculation sparked by an article published in Politico. A number of current and former members of parliament were allegedly contacted by unknown numbers on WhatsApp with details of prior meetings with politicians in an attempt to obtain personal and sensitive information. The report said some of the targets were sent nude images, and at least two responded by sending images of themselves.
“What I would like to say to anyone watching this is that if you feel you are in danger or feel threatened, you should immediately go to the police. This is a very serious matter. That’s why,” Davis added.
Leicestershire Police in central England have confirmed they are investigating reports of malicious communications after a number of unsolicited messages were sent to local MPs last month.
