(NewsNation) — The concept of Russian sex spies, also referred to as “honeypots,” sounds like something from a Cold War spy novel.
The only thing is, they’re real, and they’re looking for their next targets, Australian media reports.
Last month, Australia’s security intelligence agency sent out an alert regarding Russian spies and other foreign agents using popular apps such as Tinder and Bumble to find their next targets.
In just the past two years, thousands of people with access to classified information are believed to have been targeted by “honeypot” spies using those apps, according to an assessment by Australian intelligence official Mike Burgess.
So, how do you know if you’re talking to a potential suitor, or swiping right on a Russian spy?
In an exclusive interview Wednesday on NewsNation’s “Banfield,” Bryan Cunningham, a leading international expert in privacy and data protection law, explains how these spies are casting a very wide net through the interwebs.
“I’m quite certain a lot of it is just automated, so they’re on these dating sites. They just have AI-robots that are out there trolling for anyone, and then once they get someone interested, maybe a human being will come in and say, ‘Oh, is this someone we really want to spend our time on or is it somebody we just will push to the side?’”
Cunningham encourages those with access to sensitive information not to discuss it with anyone whose identity and background isn’t 100 percent certain.