To date, POLITICO has directly verified that at least 21 British politicians received unsolicited WhatsApp messages through one or both phone numbers, which alternately used the names “Charlie” or “Abi.” All of the victims verified by POLITICO are men, mostly aged between their late 20s and early 40s. They are a mix of straight and gay. Among them are Labor and Conservative MPs, including a serving minister in the British government.
Three photos of the man were used for a profile on the gay dating app Grindr used to contact attendees of the Lib Dem conference in September 2023. One of those attendees was later given the man’s phone number. sender, confirming that it was the same “Charlie” who had contacted. people in Westminster.
A fourth photo of the man was used by “Charlie” as his profile picture on WhatsApp.
When POLITICO contacted the man, who does not work in politics, he was shocked to learn his images had been used in this way. He then reported what had happened to parliamentary security and the police. His Facebook account was public and his photos were visible at the time he was contacted.
A parliamentary spokesperson said: “Parliament takes security extremely seriously and works closely with the Government and the police in response to such incidents. We provide MPs and staff with personalized advice, raising awareness of security risks and how to manage their digital security. The man was referred to the Parliament Police team.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Officers from the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command are investigating following reports that a number of unsolicited messages were sent to MPs in recent month.
“We work closely with other forces and are in contact with parliamentary security colleagues, who are providing support and advice to anyone affected.”
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