by A Conservative MP has said he was the victim of a “cyber-flash” and was the MP who first alerted police to a parliamentary honeytrap sexting scam.
Bosworth MP Dr Luke Evans said he had received explicit images and unsolicited messages over WhatsApp.
The Metropolitan Police have said they are investigating reports of the scam as Conservative MP William Wragg revealed he was blackmailed into sharing his colleagues’ phone numbers for fear personal images of him would be leaked.
Mr Wragg said on Thursday he had been “manipulated” into giving his colleagues’ personal phone numbers to a man he met on a gay app.
On Friday, Scotland Yard confirmed it was in contact with Leicestershire Police and Parliamentary Security “following reports of unsolicited messages to members of Parliament”, amid concerns that other MPs and their staff may be victims of dune
“We will assess any reports we receive accordingly,” the Met added.
In a video posted to Facebook on Friday, Dr Evans said: “A month ago I became a victim of cyber-spoofing and malicious communication and blew the whistle by reporting it to the police and parliamentary authorities as soon as it happened .
“The first set of messages I received was the day I was with my wife and I received a one-time open photo on WhatsApp of a revealing image of a naked woman. As soon as I got them the next day I reported it to the police, the authorities and the head shepherd.
“Ten days later I received another series of messages, this time, however, I was sitting with my team in the constituency office, so we were able to record the conversation and take photos and videos of the messages that were coming in including another expressive image of women.
“Why am I talking about this now? Well, I really wanted it to be private because it’s an ongoing police investigation, it’s been going on for a month but you’ve probably seen in the national media, journalists have been undercover asking me about it, it’s not too -difficult. worked out that there are only a handful of MPs from Leicestershire so I put my name up saying, ‘well, hopefully others will come forward’.
“I’m glad 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 information about him.
The MP for Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester said he was sorry for his “weakness”, which caused injuries to others.
He said: “They put me at risk. They wouldn’t leave me alone. They would ask people.
“I gave them some numbers, not all of them. I told him to stop. He manipulated me and now I’ve hurt other people.
“I got chatting with a guy on an app and we exchanged pictures. We were meant to meet for drinks, but we didn’t.
“Then he started asking for numbers. I was worried because he had stuff on me. He gave me a WhatsApp number, which now doesn’t work.
“I hurt people by being weak. I was scared. I am mortified.
“I am so sorry that others have been hurt by my weakness.”
Earlier this week, it was revealed that a number of politicians had been contacted by someone who alleged that they had previously met.
Politico reported that these political figures received the unwanted messages from two numbers calling themselves “Abi” or “Charlie”.
The messages would include details of the MP’s career and the campaigns they worked on.
The honeytrap sexting scam has been described as “spear phishing”, a type of cyber attack that targets specific groups.
Phishing involves scammers pretending to be trusted senders in order to steal personal or sensitive information.
A Parliamentary spokesman said: “Parliament takes security very seriously and works closely with the government and the police in response to incidents like this.
“We provide Members and staff with tailored advice, informing them of security risks and how to manage their digital safety.
They added: “We urge any pass holders who receive suspicious messages to contact the Metropolitan Police Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team (PLaIT) directly.”
Police in Leicestershire have confirmed they are investigating a report of malicious communications after a number of unsolicited messages were sent to a Leicestershire MP last month.
A spokesman for the force said: “They were reported to the police on Tuesday 19 March. Inquiries are currently underway.”
Andrew Bridgen, Independent MP for North West Leicestershire, told the PA news agency that he was not responsible for the report.
“I’m sorry for anyone who thinks it’s a good idea to send pictures of your genitalia to people you barely know,” he said.
Mr Wragg was backed by senior Government figures after his claim, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt saying his apology was “courageous and fulsome”.
Mr Hunt told broadcasters that the unfolding scandal was “deeply worrying”, adding: “But the lesson here for all MPs is that they need to be very careful about cyber security, and that indeed it is a lesson for the public as well. , because this is something we all have to face in our daily lives.”
Former Labor minister Ben Bradshaw was sympathetic to Mr Wragg’s case, also telling the BBC: “I think it’s our responsibility to all be careful and cautious and act with common sense and responsibility when the messages are we’re getting this without asking.”
