Sex and secrets: Why honey traps still work in spycraft. 'The oldest trick in the book'

Key Points:

• The practice of "honey trapping," using romantic or sexual relationships to extract confidential information, dates back to ancient times and remains a potent espionage tactic today, as illustrated by the recent scandal involving Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and allegations of a Chinese spy affair.
• Honey traps have been systematically used by intelligence agencies, especially during World War II and the Cold War, with both sexual compromise and prolonged romantic cultivation as primary methods for gaining leverage or blackmail material.
• Experts caution that while honey traps can yield gossip or vulnerabilities, they do not always produce reliable intelligence or classified information, and an affair alone does not prove espionage without clear evidence of information exchange or direction.
• Historical cases like Mata Hari demonstrate how seductive spy stories can overshadow actual intelligence effectiveness, and the stereotype of women betraying secrets through sex has often undermined recognition of their real contributions to intelligence work.
• To combat honey trapping, organizations are advised to encourage early reporting of suspicious approaches, implement sensible access controls, and recognize that professional skill does not protect individuals from human vulnerabilities such as desire, loneliness, and vanity.