A former Russian intelligence operative says she was trained to use romance and manipulation to extract secrets, and now she’s warning technology professionals in Silicon Valley to be on guard.
Aliia Roza, who defected to the United States in 2020, claims that she was part of a special program in Russia that deployed so‑called “sexpionage” tactics: seductive or intimate relationships created for the purpose of gathering intelligence. According to her, the targets are often high‑value individuals such as tech engineers or executives, and the method is designed to operate before the target even realizes they are part of an espionage operation.
“They see the target, they need to get information,” Roza told The Post. “They need to manipulate the target, emotions, feelings, or whatever they can do, they will do it.”
According to the New York Post website, Roza highlighted claims that Russia and China are running covert operations using attractive female agents to manipulate tech executives. The report emphasized that these nations gain an “asymmetric advantage” over the United States, which reportedly does not engage in comparable strategies.
Roza also said that, unlike foreign governments, the United States seeks “to protect human rights.” She alleged that Russian and Chinese operatives “manipulate their targets in a really bad way” and treat their own agents as expendable assets.
How do they approach the target?
According to Roza, the manipulation process follows a carefully crafted script, and an experienced operative never initiates contact without first laying the groundwork.
“You first appear in their life, seven times, to be exact, before making contact,” she said. “You might show up at their coffee shop, their gym, or just keep liking their posts. When you finally meet, their brain already trusts you.”
“It starts with love bombing, messages full of compliments, selfies, bikini photos,” Roza explained. “They pretend to be weak or alone: ‘My parents were killed, I’m a student, I’m broke.’ It triggers the hero instinct. Every man wants to feel like the rescuer.”
Next comes what Roza calls the “milk technique,” a tactic in which agents fabricate mutual connections to build credibility. “The fake account follows your friends or family. This is done to build trust and credibility.
After the trust is established, “The agent makes you doubt yourself,” Roza said. “She’ll say, ‘Your boss doesn’t appreciate you; your colleagues use you.’ It creates a bond where you feel you understand each other and the rest of the world is bad.
“The agent makes you doubt yourself,” Roza said. “She’ll say, ‘Your boss doesn’t appreciate you; your colleagues use you.’ It creates a bond where you feel you understand each other, and the rest of the world is bad.”
Eventually, Roza said, the operation turns coercive, the agent begins issuing threats or emotional ultimatums if the target refuses to share the requested information.
“They’ll create stress, fear of losing the relationship,” Roza said. “‘If you don’t send this information right now, I’ll disappear forever.’ Under that emotional rush, people give up things they never would otherwise.”
Roza noted that operatives usually focus on single employees.
“They would target someone who is single … they don’t have this relationship, so of course, they become, like, very weak targets,” she explained.
She advised Silicon Valley professionals to be cautious of sudden romantic interest, particularly when it comes paired with probing questions, name-dropping, or alcohol.
Roza moved to the United States in 2020, and since her relocation, she has obtained a green card and said she carried out fewer than ten intelligence missions across Europe and the UK, targeting human traffickers, drug dealers, and oligarchs who had fallen out of favor with the Russian government.
She emphasized that she never conducted espionage against Americans or on US soil and is now dedicated to educating the public about manipulation in work, dating, and social media.
She is working on a book, developing a documentary, and offers public speaking and coaching to help people build confidence and strategic thinking skills. Appearing on the podcast To Die For with Neil Strauss, she underscored her message: “Education is prevention of the problem.
Aliia Roza, who defected to the United States in 2020, claims that she was part of a special program in Russia that deployed so‑called “sexpionage” tactics: seductive or intimate relationships created for the purpose of gathering intelligence. According to her, the targets are often high‑value individuals such as tech engineers or executives, and the method is designed to operate before the target even realizes they are part of an espionage operation.
“They see the target, they need to get information,” Roza told The Post. “They need to manipulate the target, emotions, feelings, or whatever they can do, they will do it.”
According to the New York Post website, Roza highlighted claims that Russia and China are running covert operations using attractive female agents to manipulate tech executives. The report emphasized that these nations gain an “asymmetric advantage” over the United States, which reportedly does not engage in comparable strategies.
Roza also said that, unlike foreign governments, the United States seeks “to protect human rights.” She alleged that Russian and Chinese operatives “manipulate their targets in a really bad way” and treat their own agents as expendable assets.
How do they approach the target?
According to Roza, the manipulation process follows a carefully crafted script, and an experienced operative never initiates contact without first laying the groundwork.
“You first appear in their life, seven times, to be exact, before making contact,” she said. “You might show up at their coffee shop, their gym, or just keep liking their posts. When you finally meet, their brain already trusts you.”
“It starts with love bombing, messages full of compliments, selfies, bikini photos,” Roza explained. “They pretend to be weak or alone: ‘My parents were killed, I’m a student, I’m broke.’ It triggers the hero instinct. Every man wants to feel like the rescuer.”
Next comes what Roza calls the “milk technique,” a tactic in which agents fabricate mutual connections to build credibility. “The fake account follows your friends or family. This is done to build trust and credibility.
After the trust is established, “The agent makes you doubt yourself,” Roza said. “She’ll say, ‘Your boss doesn’t appreciate you; your colleagues use you.’ It creates a bond where you feel you understand each other and the rest of the world is bad.
“The agent makes you doubt yourself,” Roza said. “She’ll say, ‘Your boss doesn’t appreciate you; your colleagues use you.’ It creates a bond where you feel you understand each other, and the rest of the world is bad.”
Eventually, Roza said, the operation turns coercive, the agent begins issuing threats or emotional ultimatums if the target refuses to share the requested information.
“They’ll create stress, fear of losing the relationship,” Roza said. “‘If you don’t send this information right now, I’ll disappear forever.’ Under that emotional rush, people give up things they never would otherwise.”
Roza noted that operatives usually focus on single employees.
“They would target someone who is single … they don’t have this relationship, so of course, they become, like, very weak targets,” she explained.
She advised Silicon Valley professionals to be cautious of sudden romantic interest, particularly when it comes paired with probing questions, name-dropping, or alcohol.
Roza moved to the United States in 2020, and since her relocation, she has obtained a green card and said she carried out fewer than ten intelligence missions across Europe and the UK, targeting human traffickers, drug dealers, and oligarchs who had fallen out of favor with the Russian government.
She emphasized that she never conducted espionage against Americans or on US soil and is now dedicated to educating the public about manipulation in work, dating, and social media.
She is working on a book, developing a documentary, and offers public speaking and coaching to help people build confidence and strategic thinking skills. Appearing on the podcast To Die For with Neil Strauss, she underscored her message: “Education is prevention of the problem.
