A little-known Russian model is leading a double life as a secret agent for the Kremlin to film its most prominent detractors in compromising positions, reports claim.
Ekaterina Gerasimova, who has been described as a modern-day Mata Hari, has lured at least six high-profile opponents of the Russian government into old KGB-style honeytraps, British newspapers report.
Using a raft of aliases, Ms Gerasimova reportedly approaches her victims on social networking sites and uses her good looks and the promise of sex to meet them in person.
She often brings drugs or sex toys to the meetings, and seduces the men while secretly filming the encounters, the reports said.
The videos later pop up online.
One man said to be a victim of Ms Gerasimova’s scam is journalist Viktor Shenderovich, who has been a vocal critic of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Mr Shendrovich, a married father-of-one, has admitted he had sex with Ms Gerasimova — whom he knew as ''Katya''.
"I did have Katya — without much pleasure though, as she was as boring as your whole dull Gestapo," the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.
He claims he later learned she had been working as an agent for the Kremlin.
Mr Shendrovich's marriage is now reportedly on the rocks and his credibility as an anti-government critic is said to have been undermined following the scandal.
The reports also named the editor of Russian Newsweek as falling prey to Ms Gerasimova after he was allegedly filmed in his underpants handling cocaine.
Aside from her reported string of victims, not much is known about Ms Gerasimova.
She has a profile on an online modelling agency which lists her as being 19 years old and having grey-blue eyes.
Men who have slept with her said she goes by the nickname ''Moo-Moo'' on social networking sites.
Mr Shendrovich said he believed more high-profile figures will be revealed as victims of Ms Gerasimova.
"This is not entertainment — the filming was done professionally [and] federal forces were involved in it," he said.
"This is being done by the authorities for two purposes: to discredit and to blackmail."
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