Recruitment CEO linked to doxxing campaign targeting RNLI and activists

The situation

Real talk: the vibes are currently off for a recruitment CEO from Worcester named Tom Watson. He’s being accused of running an X account called "Big Time Charlie" that went rogue, allegedly doxxing people and building a so-called "Traitorbase."

This account, which racked up nearly 50,000 followers, wasn't just lurking; it was actively scraping data from LinkedIn to target folks, including staff at the RNLI, anti-racism activists, and business leaders focused on diversity recruitment. It’s giving major main character energy in the worst way possible.

The fallout

Hope Not Hate, a campaign group, did the deep dive and linked Watson to the account. Once they went public and the Guardian started asking questions, the account suddenly ghosted and was deactivated. The plot thickens because the "Big Time Charlie" account was reportedly using AI to scrape personal data and was frequently cheering on hard-right MP Rupert Lowe, even claiming to have dropped £2,500 on Lowe’s Restore Britain party.

Targets of this harassment, like Green party councillor Chantelle Lunt, say the impact is real. Lunt, who reported the account to the police, noted, “The climate at the moment is horrendous and I’m no stranger to people targeting me and my family.” Other business leaders targeted by the account called the whole thing "bizarre" and "unpleasant."

Connecting the dots

How do we know it’s him? Well, the receipts are there. The "Big Time Charlie" account frequently flexed about being in Puerto Rico—where Watson’s firm, Futura Energy Group, is based. Even more damning, the account posted a photo from a specific Swiss hotel on July 20, and just two days later, Watson shared a near-identical photo from the same location on his own LinkedIn.

Why it matters

This is a classic case of how anonymous online hate can move from "just a post" to actual real-world harassment. Humanitarian organizations like the RNLI are already under fire for doing their jobs, and when you mix in AI-driven data scraping, it creates a recipe for division that makes it harder for these groups to function. It’s a L for everyone involved in this campaign, and a stark reminder that digital footprints are harder to hide than you think.