Deception, Honeytraps, And Financial Exploitation in Personal Relationships: Legal Pathways for Protection and Redress

Abstract

Trust is an extremely important resource and a potentially dangerous threat in the modern business environment, personal relationships and online communication. Trust is an asset of ours and a greatest weakness in a period where people can reach out to each other on an emotional level easily. The 21st century has revolutionized the concept of intimacy. Discussion now occurs on a screen, romance has become virtual, and dating is usually a mouse-click. However, behind this otherwise refined manner of individuals becoming acquainted with one another is a frightening reality, the trust has turned into a weapon. What starts with a feeling of warmth, friendship and emotional involvement, usually turns out to be lying, manipulation and financial exploitation. The issue of a so-called honeytrap where emotional or sexual contact is feigned with the view of exploiting, blackmailing, or extorting has become a big social and legal concern. These scandals are no longer limited to spies and scandals with celebrities. This is making them grow more significant to professionals, businesspeople, students and ordinary people. Their working styles are too often gruntingly alike. A person is contacted via dating application, social media, or even a work-related talk. It painstakingly develops emotional rapport, pushes comfort zones and after trust has readily developed the lying begins. It may begin as a solicitation of funds but it may soon degenerate into coercion, blackmail or even threats of exposure through personal communications or photographs. Under the guise of emotional trust, personal information or private business or data are stolen in more complicated situations. This compounds emotional and financial fraud that is not only very complex but damaging as well.