The recent suspected Chinese spy surrounding Jensen Huang and Nvidia has prompted me to write this and put this out there. I write this and put this out there to help people. If anyone suddenly starts coming around acting all friendly and asking questions about your work, that could be a red flag. I think a healthy level of paranoia is good in the days in which we live.
Honey Pot (social engineering). Someone builds a romantic, flirtatious or friendly relationship with you to get something: money, access, information, or compromising material for blackmail. Intelligence agencies have used it for espionage. Today it’s mostly used by fraud rings, in forms like romance scams, “pig butchering” investment schemes and sextortion.
Signs you may be targeted
Unsolicited contact. A stranger reaches out on LinkedIn, Instagram or WhatsApp, or after a conference, with an unusually attractive or flattering profile. They often seem to know your industry or interests.
Fast intimacy. They quickly declare strong feelings, call you “my love,” or push to move to a private channel like WhatsApp or Telegram.
They avoid live video. They offer excuses, or the video looks off (deepfakes are now common). Their photos also tend to reverse-search to someone else.
Convenient backstory. They’re often traveling or deployed abroad, widowed, or working in oil, the military, medicine or finance, and they’re never available in person.
Probing questions. They ask about your work, deals, finances, travel schedule or company systems before the relationship has earned that level of trust.
Pressure toward sexual content. They send explicit photos or video first and ask for yours in return. Sextortion follows within hours.
Money requests. These start small or indirect: a crypto “investment tip,” a loan for an emergency, or a fee to release funds or customs.
Manufactured urgency or secrecy. They tell you not to discuss it with friends or colleagues, or they create crises that need an immediate response.
Who is targeted? Executives, dealmakers, people with access to sensitive information, and anyone who posts publicly about wealth or travel are more likely targets. Attackers research targets, so a “chance” encounter are something to be aware of.
Are you a likely target (some questions to ask yourself)?
Do I have access to money, deal terms, client information, or systems that someone else would profit from?
Is my role, wealth, or deal activity visible online, through LinkedIn, press, conference speaker lists, or social media?
Do I travel or network in settings where strangers can approach me easily, such as conferences, hotel bars, or cross-border trips?
Could someone use a personal vulnerability against me, such as a secret, an affair, or a financial strain? Would I pay to keep it quiet?
Am I lonely or isolated, or going through a transition like a breakup, a loss, or a big career change? Scammers look for these.
Do I make decisions alone and fast, without anyone checking my work?
Does this particular person look like a setup?
Who initiated contact, and how did they find me? Does “we just happened to meet” hold up?
Is the connection moving faster than it normally would? Am I being flattered, or told this is fate?
What do their questions focus on? Am I being asked about my work, deals, finances, schedule, or colleagues earlier than makes sense?
Can I verify them independently, through a reverse image search, a mutual contact, a live video call, or a company website I found myself?
Does their story explain every obstacle? Does it keep them from meeting me or being checked out?
Are they steering me to a private channel, asking for secrecy, or discouraging me from talking to others?
Are they asking for money, crypto, intimate content, or access, even something small? Is there urgency?
Would I feel comfortable if my business partner, spouse, or lawyer saw this whole exchange?
Check yourself
If I explained this situation to a skeptical friend, what would they say?
If I had to prove this person is who they claim to be, what could I show?
What do I stand to lose if this is fake, and have I limited that by not sending money or sharing sensitive information until it’s verified?
Works Cited
Honeypot (cybersecurity)
“What Is a Honeypot in Cybersecurity?” CyberDefenders, cyberdefenders.org/cybersecurity-glossary/honeypot-in-cybersecurity/.
“What Is a Honeypot? How It Protects Against Cyberattacks.” TechTarget, techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/honey-pot.
Honey trap (espionage and social engineering)
“Honeypot: The Art of Seduction in Espionage.” Grey Dynamics, greydynamics.com/honeypot-the-art-of-seduction-in-espionage/.
“The Long History of Sexpionage.” JSTOR Daily, daily.jstor.org/the-long-history-of-sexpionage/.
“What Is Honey Trapping? The Spy Tactic Threatening National Security.” The CSR Journal, 21 May 2025, thecsrjournal.in/honey-trapping-spy-tactic-threatening-national-security/.
Warning signs (romance and confidence fraud)
“FBI Warns of Romance Scams Ahead of Valentine’s Day.” AOL News, aol.com/news/fbi-warns-romance-scams-ahead-161207572.html.
“FBI Warns of Romance Scams Ahead of Valentine’s Day: ‘Don’t Just Follow Your Heart.’” FOX 5 New York, 5 Feb. 2026, fox5ny.com/news/fbi-warns-romance-scams-ahead-valentines-day.
“Experts Warn of Online Romance Scams.” The Washington Times, 11 Feb. 2022, m.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/feb/11/experts-warn-online-romance-scams-valentines-day/.
“What You Need to Know About Romance Scams.” Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice, consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-romance-scams.
“Did Your Dating App Match Just Ask You for Money?” FTC Consumer Alerts, Feb. 2023, consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/02/did-your-dating-app-match-just-ask-you-money.
“FBI Issues Warning on Romance Scams Ahead of Valentine’s Day.” 6abc (WPVI), 13 Feb. 2025, 6abc.com/post/fbi-issues-warning-romance-scams-ahead-valentines-day/15898375/.
Sextortion and reporting
“Sextortion: What It Is, How It Works and What to Do If It Happens to You.” National Cybersecurity Alliance, staysafeonline.org/articles/sextortion-what-it-is-how-it-works-and-what-to-do-if-it-happens-to-you.
“FBI Warns of Increase in Sextortion Complaints.” Security Affairs, securityaffairs.com/121878/cyber-crime/fbi-ic3-sextortion.html.
