A former Russian spy trained in seduction and psychological manipulation has warned Silicon Valley professionals to beware of foreign operatives using romantic traps to steal technological and business secrets.
Aliia Roza, who says she was trained by Russian intelligence as a “sex spy” before defecting after falling in love with one of her targets, told the New York Post that both Russia and China employ attractive female agents to infiltrate the personal lives of male tech workers and executives. Their goal, she said, is to build emotional intimacy — and ultimately, extract valuable information.
“They see the target; they need information,” Roza explained. “They’ll manipulate emotions, feelings — anything they can use, they will.”
Her comments follow a report in The Times of London alleging a joint Russian-Chinese effort to deploy female operatives to ensnare technology executives — a strategy that gives them an advantage, Roza said, since the United States does not use similar tactics.
The playbook of seduction
Roza described a carefully orchestrated process that spies follow to groom their targets.
“An experienced agent never approaches directly,” she said. “You show up in their life about seven times before making contact — at their café, their gym, online. Maybe you just keep liking their posts. By the time you finally meet, their brain already trusts you.”
Once a connection is made, the manipulation begins with “love bombing” — constant compliments, selfies, and flirty messages.
“They’ll pretend to be vulnerable — say their parents died, they’re students, or they’re broke. It triggers the hero instinct. Every man wants to be a rescuer,” Roza explained.
Next comes what she called the “milk technique,” where spies fake mutual acquaintances to appear credible.
“The fake account might follow your friends or say, ‘Bill is my brother’s friend,’ so you think, ‘Okay, she’s real.’ But it’s all fabricated,” she said.
Why tech workers are easy prey
Roza warned that tech professionals are especially vulnerable because many are overworked, socially isolated, and inexperienced in relationships.
“They may be geniuses in what they do, but when it comes to dating, they spend too much time at the office,” she said. “There’s a gap in their interaction with women, and that makes them easy targets.”
She added that spies typically focus on single men, who are easier to manipulate emotionally.
“If they’re not in a relationship, of course, they’re more vulnerable,” she said.
Red flags and prevention
Roza advises Silicon Valley workers to be cautious of sudden romantic attention — especially if it comes with intrusive questions, mentions of prominent people, or alcohol-fueled conversations.
Now living in the West, Roza focuses on educating the public about manipulation tactics in work, dating, and social media. She is writing a book and has signed a deal for a documentary film based on her experiences.
“I’m on a mission to teach people how to prevent manipulation,” said Roza, now a confidence coach who uses some of her former spy training to help others build resilience.
Her final advice: “Education is prevention. The best defense for tech professionals is skepticism — slow down interactions, verify identities offline, and never agree to anything secretive or urgent.”