BBC Journalist Targeted By Westminster Sexting Honeypot Blackmailer

BBC chief correspondent Henry Zeffman described how he was targeted by the anonymous sexting honeypot persona that approached multiple politicians and embroiled Conservative MP William Wragg, who apologised for sharing colleagues’ contact information.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight on Monday, Zeffman described how an unknown number from a WhatsApp user calling themselves Charlie contacted him in March. The user feigned familiarity with the journalist and said that they’d exchanged numbers at a bar one night.

The unsolicited messages continued until Zeffman blocked the number, wondering who might be at the other end.

A day later Zeffman was contacted again, this time by an account claiming to be run by a woman called Abi Miller. Miller claimed to have been an intern at The Times, where Zeffman had worked until last year.

This time the user asked Zeffman if he’d like to meet for drinks. Sure he was being scammed, the journalist blocked the number then unblocked it, curious as to what any further messages sent through might reveal.

It was at this stage he confronted Abi and asked: “What do you want?” and “Who are you?” Although he did receive a response, seeming to confirm that Charlie and Abi were the same person, he blocked the number.

He told Newsnight: “ If MPs were falling for this kind of approach. I think that does open the question of whether more sophisticated or even less sophisticated approaches might have also in the past ensnared MPs, and what the ramifications of that would be.”