(MENAFN- Live Mint) A former Russian intelligence trainee has warned that foreign operatives are using romance scams and emotional manipulation to extract trade secrets from Silicon Valley's engineers and executives - an espionage tactic she says is spreading rapidly through the tech sector, according to a New York Post report.

Aliia Roza, a former Russian“sexpionage” trainee who defected to the United States, told The New York Post that she was trained from a young age to seduce and psychologically manipulate targets on behalf of state authorities.

The Rusiian spy's warning comes amid growing concerns over covert foreign operations exploiting social media and online dating platforms to infiltrate Western technology firms.

“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.”

What is 'sexpionage' and how is it used?

The Times of London recently reported that Russia and China are deploying attractive agents to lure tech executives into compromising relationships, a claim Roza confirmed, saying the practice gives both countries an“asymmetric advantage” since“the US doesn't use the same tactics.”

According to Roza, the manipulation follows a deliberate and scripted process.

“You first appear in their life - seven times, to be exact - before making contact,” she told The Post.“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.”

Once that trust is established, the operation escalates into emotional conditioning.

“It starts with love bombing - messages full of compliments, selfies, bikini photos,” she 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.”

What warning signs should tech workers look for?

Roza outlined a series of“red flags” that she said Silicon Valley employees must recognise before becoming compromised.

Among them is what she called the“milk technique” - when agents fake mutual acquaintances to appear trustworthy.

“The fake account follows your friends or says, 'Bill is my brother's friend,' so you think, 'OK, I can trust her.' But it's all fabricated,” she said.

After a bond is formed, psychological control deepens.

“The agent makes you doubt yourself,” Roza told The Post.“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.”

If persuasion fails, she added, threats soon follow.

“'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 said engineers and tech executives are especially vulnerable because of long working hours, social isolation, and a lack of romantic relationships.

“They may be very smart and geniuses in what they do, but regarding dating relationships... they spend a lot of time in the offices,” she said.“There's a gap in between female interaction. And then it's much easier for a female to target you.”

Who is Aliia Roza?

Roza told The Post she joined Russian intelligence training as a teenager and was assigned fewer than ten missions, mostly in Europe and the United Kingdom.

“I would get into serious relationships with my targets, which at that time were, like, criminals,” she said.“And then [I would] just report [them] to my commanders and bring [them], eventually, to justice.”

Roza claimed her targets included human traffickers, drug dealers, and corrupt oligarchs, and that she never conducted espionage against Americans or on US soil.

She defected in 2020 and has since obtained a US green card. On her lawyer's advice, she decided to speak publicly about her past to support her legal case and to educate others about manipulation tactics.

What is ex- Russian spy doing now?

Now based in the United States, Roza describes herself as a public speaker and self-improvement coach, using her experience in espionage to teach resilience and emotional intelligence.

“I'm on a mission to educate people how to prevent manipulation,” she said.“I teach people to be positive and purposeful to your goals and aims, and not to be bothered or distracted by any other negative or toxic people or negative events in your life. So it's a very precise, strategical thinking.”

Roza has signed a book and documentary deal, and recently appeared on To Die For, a true-crime podcast hosted by bestselling author Neil Strauss, which explores the shadowy world of Russian“sexpionage.”

“Education is prevention of the problem,” she told The Post, urging professionals to be sceptical of sudden romantic overtures and to verify identities offline before sharing personal or professional information.

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