Honeytrap
Not to be confused with honeypot, a computer term to direct targets to false objectives.
| Honeytrap link (entrapment, tradecraft, deception, sexual blackmail) | |
|---|---|
| investigative tactic involving the use of sex. |
Honey trapping is an practice involving the use of romantic or sexual relationships for interpersonal, political (including state espionage) or monetary purpose. The honey pot or trap involves making contact with an individual who has information or resources required by a group or individual; the trapper will then seek to entice the target into a false relationship (which may or may not include actual physical involvement) in which they can glean information or influence over the target.
CIA
- Full article: CIA
- Full article: CIA
The CIA sent a honeytrap to get close to whistleblower Philip Agee.
There have been speculations the CIA also uses this method to get access to strategic politicians. Names that have been mentioned as possible honey traps include Ann Durham, Barack Obama's mother, who married two up-an-coming third world politicians from Kenya and Indonesia; and Hope Cooke, who married the king of Sikkim, a strategic Himalayan kingdom which was annexed by India in 1975. {{#subobject: |Has superobject=Honeytrap |Has objectClass=Quotation |Has author=Philip Giraldi|+sep=, |Has text=“Drawing of my own experiences as a CIA officer in Europe during the seventies and eighties, operations using women to entice prominent men were called “honeypots” or “honeytraps.” They were only used in certain geographic areas where there were foreign diplomats from countries that were considered not friendly and therefore targets for recruitment. As I recall Vienna was particularly favored as it had numerous Russians and Eastern Europeans resident in the city during the Cold War doing jobs that linked them to their respective governments. The objective was to draw them into an illicit relationship and eventually convince them, usually by offering them money, to share the information they had about the intentions of their governments lest they be exposed for their private behavior.” |Is about=Honeytrap,Vienna, sexual blackmail|+sep=, |Has wikipediaPage= |Has location=|+sep=, |Has publicationDate=July 18, 2025 |Sourced from= |Has sourceDetails= |Has sourceTitle= |Has sourceName= |Has sourceURL=https://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/whats-going-on-in-the-honeypot/
}}
“Drawing of my own experiences as a CIA officer in Europe during the seventies and eighties, operations using women to entice prominent men were called “honeypots” or “honeytraps.” They were only used in certain geographic areas where there were foreign diplomats from countries that were considered not friendly and therefore targets for recruitment. As I recall Vienna was particularly favored as it had numerous Russians and Eastern Europeans resident in the city during the Cold War doing jobs that linked them to their respective governments. The objective was to draw them into an illicit relationship and eventually convince them, usually by offering them money, to share the information they had about the intentions of their governments lest they be exposed for their private behavior.”
Philip Giraldi (July 18, 2025) [1]
KGB
- Full article: KGB
- Full article: KGB
The KGB and allied services at times used honeytraps to try to get close to Western politicians.