Scotland Yard on Friday confirmed it is working with other forces to assess reports of honeytrap sexting messages targeting MPs and a minister.
Senior Conservative MP William Wragg has said he was "manipulated" into passing the personal phone numbers of colleagues and parliamentary staff to a man he met on gay dating app Grindr, after he had sent intimate pictures of himself.
A person identifying themselves as either “Charlie” or “Abi” sent flirty messages, and in some cases an explicit picture, to a number of MPs.
It is understood at least two responded by sending an explicit picture of themselves back, the Times reported.
The Met on Friday confirmed its officers were “in contact” with parliament security and Leicestershire Police over the alleged scandal amid concerns that politicians and their staff could be victims of blackmail.
It has heightened worries over cyberattacks and Leicestershire police has received a complaint of “malicious communications” against a parliamentarian.
A spokesman for the Met said: “We are in contact with colleagues in Parliamentary Security and Leicestershire Police following reporting of unsolicited messages to members of Parliament.
“We will assess any reports made to us accordingly."Mr Wragg, the MP for Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester and vice chairman of the 1922 Committee, told The Times he handed over the phone numbers of colleagues when he became “scared” that the person he had been chatting to “had compromising things on me”.
He said he never met the man in person, but had sent photos of himself.
Mr Wragg, who has already confirmed he will step down at the next general election, told the newspaper: “They wouldn’t leave me alone... I got chatting to a guy on an app and we exchanged pictures.
“We were meant to meet up for drinks, but then didn’t.
“Then he started asking for numbers of people. I was worried because he had stuff on me.
“He gave me a WhatsApp number, which doesn’t work now.
“I’ve hurt people by being weak. I was scared. I’m mortified. I’m so sorry that my weakness has caused other people hurt.”
Treasury minister Gareth Davies said the reports of an alleged sexting scam are "extremely troubling".MPs who feel they have been blackmailed should contact the police, not their party, he added.
Mr Davies told Times Radio that Mr Wragg's actions were "very serious", adding: "Will has recognised the seriousness and apologised. People do make mistakes, of course they do."
On whether Mr Wragg should have the whip removed, Mr Davies said: "He is continuing as a Conservative MP and it's right that there's investigation into what happened.
“He's rightly apologised, and, as I say, that's a matter for Will Wragg and the party generally."
Asked if other MPs who feel compromised should contact the Conservative Party, Mr Davies replied: "First and foremost blackmail is a very serious matter and they should go to the police.
"They should not come to anybody else other than the police if they feel that they're a victim of blackmail."
