Intelligence agencies utilize honey traps for espionage

Intelligence services have historically employed honey traps, a tactic where agents use romantic or sexual relationships to gain trust and access sensitive information. This method has been used by various agencies to target political figures, diplomats, and corporate executives.

Recent reports highlight a case involving Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang, who reportedly had an extramarital affair with Alice Huang Le. Following the relationship, Singaporean intelligence services investigated Huang Le under suspicion of being a Chinese intelligence agent. Huang Le and her company, Megaspeed, have since disappeared and are believed to be part of a ghost operation.

Other historical and recent examples include the 1963 Profumo affair in the United Kingdom, involving Minister John Profumo and Christine Keeler, and the case of French diplomat Bernard Boursicot, who was accused of passing documents to Chinese intelligence through a long-term relationship with Shi Pei Pu. Additionally, Chinese authorities reported in July 2025 that a provincial official was sentenced to five years in prison after being coerced into sharing documents following a seduction attempt by a tour guide.