‘Honeytrap’ incidents aimed at crews are becoming more common, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa.

In September, a seafarer was caught in a ‘sextortion’ trap when at the Togo anchorage, Lome. The crewman was encouraged to expose himself on social media after contact over six weeks, first via LinkedIn and Facebook, then Skype, from a blackmailer who he thought was an attractive young woman.