A brief history of the honeytrap.

Ellen has been working as a housekeeper for an important German industrialist family for over 15 years. She has helped to raise the children, she coordinates the household, does the shopping and is the indispensable member of the house. She is involved in the process of hiring new domestic employees, because she is their manager. If the family is on one of its many trips, Ellen is in charge. She enjoys tremendous trust and has all rights. She does it brilliantly.

Ellen is in her mid-forties and lives in an annexe on her employer’s estate. She discovered Facebook in order to increase her social circle. A post while cooking or a selfie while checking the gardening work earns Ellen nice comments and makes her day a little sweeter. On her evening off, she likes to go to a bar. For the past few weeks, a young man aged about 30 has often been there. He is well groomed, sporty and radiates positivity. The two get talking and arrange to meet on several occasions; he invites her to go for a walk.

Ellen gets attention, like she has not had in years

This goes on for two months. Ellen can hardly believe her luck. Can this really be happening to her? Markus is eloquent and educated; he can express himself well and seems to come from a good family. He is a bank adviser for private clients. Ellen successfully suppresses initial misgivings – just don’t mess it up now. The relationship becomes more intimate and they talk about moving in together. Ellen sees herself in a solid relationship with this charming man Markus. Markus is very interested in Ellen’s job and always wants her to take selfies when she is at work. She is getting more attention than she has had in years. The housekeeper becomes ever more trusting and invites Markus to her apartment on the estate when the family is travelling. Markus also gains entry to the main house when Ellen has to take care of something quickly. She willingly shows him around the impressive home. He is there when she activates the alarm system. After just over four months, the pair have arranged to meet for dinner. But Markus doesn’t turn up. Ellen is worried. She drives to his apartment – his doorbell nameplate has gone and nobody answers the door. His mobile number is suddenly no longer recognised.

Markus has disappeared into thin air. Ellen is devastated and can no longer make sense of the world. When Ellen’s boss phones the following morning at 5 a.m. and says: ‘Ellen, there has been a break-in!’ Ellen immediately understands everything that previously made no sense. She has fallen into the so-called honeytrap. Markus played on her feelings to get inside information for carrying out the break-in.

Ellen is honest and tells her employer all about her acquaintance. The police can then drop their initial suspicions of an inside job. Ellen simultaneously became a victim and

unwitting accomplice. If she had known about this criminal scam, she would have been more sceptical.

Employee Training

Let the experts train your closest employees. This will give them the tools to identify and thwart any danger:

• Identifying danger
• Forming ‘danger communities’ (together we are strong)
• Risk prevention, without getting paranoid
• The right way to deal with delivery personnel, tradespeople and postal workers
• Learning how to understand the criminal mind
• Counter-crime
• Taking a sensitive approach to social media
• Exposing observation/spying tactics
• How to behave when making initial contact with unknown people