Germany warns of ‘honey trap’ dates spying for Putin

THE German foreign ministry has warned tourists going to Russia to beware of Tinder dates who could be spying for Vladimir Putin.

“Be careful on Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and Co: there can be bad motives hidden behind new contacts,” it said in a warning following embarrassing spy leaks to Moscow.

“Russia is not the best destination at the moment for a first date with your online flirt,” the ministry added.

In Germany’s biggest spy scandal for decades, confidential discussions about Taurus cruise missiles and British troops “on the ground” in Ukraine were recorded by Russian intelligence and leaked on social media.

“Russia has not just been spying massively on Germany for years. Germany is at the centre of a Russian influence operation. Russia attempts to illegitimately influence politics, the economy and society on a number of levels,” wrote Konstantin von Notz, chairman of the parliamentary control board, a committee which oversees Germany’s intelligence services, this month.

Yesterday it was revealed that senior figures at the hard-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party had reportedly received tens of thousands of euros each through the pro-Russian news website Voice of Europe.

The Czech Republic has sanctioned the website as a Russian-influenced operation aimed at destabilising Europe with far-Right propaganda.

Raids have also have been carried out in several European countries in relation

‘Be careful on Tinder, Hinge, Bumble: there can be bad motives hidden behind new contacts’

to the website, with Poland searching houses and confiscating almost €90,000 (£76,900) in cash.

Alexander De Croo, the Belgian prime minister, claimed that Russia had approached MEPs and paid them money through Voice of Europe.

The two German MPs suspected of having been paid directly are Maximilian Krah and Petr Bystron, who top the AfD’s list of candidates for the European elections this summer.