By Peter
Sexually explicit letters and “lonely housewife” posters targeting prominent pro-democracy Hong Kong exiles have been distributed to homes in the UK and Australia, signalling a disturbing escalation in the transnational harassment and intimidation faced by critics of the Chinese Communist Party.
The smear campaign includes digitally manipulated, sexually explicit images, fake sex-work advertisements, and deepfaked posters designed to humiliate and endanger high-profile Hong Kong activists living abroad.
Deepfaked Sexual Images of Carmen Lau Mailed to UK Neighbours
Letters falsely claiming to be from Carmen Lau, an exiled Hong Kong activist and former district councillor, were sent to multiple former neighbours in Maidenhead, UK. Each envelope contained five deepfake images, showing Lau’s face superimposed onto naked or partially undressed women, including one image depicting a pixelated sex act.
The letters—posted from Macau, a Chinese territory near Hong Kong—listed Lau’s full former home address, claimed to describe her body measurements, and included sexually suggestive text inviting visits.
It is the first known instance of individuals on the Hong Kong police “bounty list” being targeted with sexually explicit deepfake material, raising concerns about the specific risks faced by female dissidents.
At least six neighbours received the letters, which followed an earlier wave of HK$1m (£96,000) “wanted” posters distributed in March.
Australian Families Targeted With Fake ‘Lonely Housewife’ Sex Ads
In Australia, former Hong Kong legislator Ted Hui and his wife were targeted with a fabricated poster advertising his wife’s services as a sex worker. The poster, labelled “Hong Kong lonely housewife”, used an old family photo and listed explicit services with prices in Australian dollars.
The false advert—linked to an unrelated Adelaide address—was emailed to Hui’s employer and later delivered to nearby homes. Hui reported the incident to police, who traced the email’s IP address to Hong Kong.
A resident living at the address falsely linked to the poster said his family was “scared” after receiving it. Neighbours even asked whether his home had become a “knock shop”.
Lau said she was “terrified” when she learned about the sexualised letters, calling them a new level of digital transnational repression, weaponising AI-driven deepfakes to target women specifically.
She has since moved homes, wears a cap or mask when going out, and describes living with a “heavy psychological burden”. She also criticised Thames Valley police for previously asking her to sign a form “ceasing any activity likely to put her at risk,” calling it inappropriate for victims of harassment.
Similar harassment letters have been sent to:
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Tony Chung, a young Hong Kong activist granted asylum in the UK
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Kevin Yam, an Australia-based Hong Kong lawyer wanted by authorities
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Multiple associates and neighbours of exiled activists
However, this is the first time that victims have been targeted with sexually explicit deepfakes.
A Maidenhead resident who received one of the letters said it contained “graphic images … basically offering services”, describing the campaign as “clearly designed to humiliate”.
Police and Government Responses
Thames Valley Police confirmed they are investigating a malicious communications offence, noting the images appear to be digitally altered.
A UK government spokesperson stressed the protection of Hongkongers in Britain is “of the utmost importance”.
In Australia, South Australia Police said they could not comment on individual cases.
Maidenhead MP Joshua Reynolds labelled the operation an act of transnational repression “without question”, urging the UK government to impose sanctions on officials responsible for targeting Hong Kong exiles overseas.
“This is Beijing’s attempt to intimidate pro-democracy Hongkongers,” he said. “It’s grotesque, and the government cannot look away.”
Chinese Embassy Response
The Chinese embassy in London repeated earlier claims that such bounty-related letters were fabricated. A spokesperson accused Hong Kong dissidents overseas of “seeking to destabilise Hong Kong” and said fugitives should “surrender themselves to the police”.
The Chinese embassy in Canberra did not respond to requests for comment.
