Tory MP William Wragg has been praised by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt for apologising after he admitted he had given other MPs’ personal phone numbers to a man on a dating app. In an interview with The Times, Wragg said he was “scared” as the individual had “compromising things on me”. It is understood at least 12 men received unsolicited messages, prompting security concerns. Police in Leicestershire have confirmed they are investigating one of these messages, which was reported to them last month. The man is also alleged to have sent similar messages to a political journalist.
Wragg, who serves as vice-chair of the influential 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs, said in the interview that he had sent intimate pictures of himself to a man he had met on Grindr, before they were meant to meet for drinks but didn’t. The man subsequently began asking for phone numbers, but Wragg claimed to have given him only some, not all. He added that he had been manipulated and had hurt others. Wragg is standing down at the forthcoming general election.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the incident was “incredibly concerning”, and the police investigation “should be able to take its course”. A House of Commons spokesperson said it provided MPs and staff with “tailored advice” to make them aware of online risks and that it took security “extremely seriously”.
The security breach has prompted renewed concerns about so-called spear-phishing attacks. Spear-phishing uses emails or messages to obtain an individual’s sensitive information, including log-in and financial details. A similar technique is contained in cyber-intrusion or cyber-infiltration tactics to use sensitive information gathered, to influence and manipulate an individual or group towards a particular cause or behaviour. Such attacks target individuals for their knowledge or systems access
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