The Shawn Ryan Show #262 — Aliia Roza: Russian Sex Spy on Seduction, Perfumes, Sexpionage, and Honeypot Tradecraft

Guest: Aliia Roza
Host: Shawn Ryan
Date: December 15, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features the extraordinary and harrowing life of Aliia Roza, a former Russian FSB-trained seduction agent (“honeypot”), now turned woman empowerment coach and fashion influencer. Aliia dives into the realities of sexpionage, honeypot tradecraft, the psychology of manipulation, trauma, and her journey from Soviet upbringing through brutal intelligence work, to public life in the West. Aliia and Shawn cover tradecraft, red flags for tech professionals, psychological scars from her spy years, and the haunting cost of loyalty, all with raw honesty and dark humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Modern “Honeypot” in Silicon Valley & Espionage Threats

[01:10–07:31]

• Shawn explained hearing from tech execs about Russian, Chinese, and Ukrainian honeypots targeting them for secrets (“there goes all the secrets back to Russia, China, Ukraine, wherever”).
• Aliia stressed that manipulation through fake female accounts online is rampant, not just physical honeytraps ([03:31–07:31]).
• Aliia: “Sometimes because of their kindness or maybe because they're naive, they don't even think that behind this account may be a fake account of a professional, mature male intelligence officer.”
• She cites a Times article: IP theft and trade secret loss cost the US $600 billion a year ([06:18]).

2. The Trauma Behind Sexpionage

[07:37–10:34]

• Shawn learned Aliia’s work wasn’t just seduction, but also infiltrating trafficking networks, at huge personal cost.
• Aliia is open about her 17 years in therapy for PTSD, anxiety, and ongoing trauma—"sometimes my spy techniques don't really help" ([08:44]).
• Notable quote:

  “At the end of the day, when I saved someone's life, I felt good about it. But I never asked myself how I felt being in a body that was constantly abused and raped by random men.” ([09:06]—Aliia, quoting herself)

3. Recruitment, Upbringing, and KGB Training

[27:22–49:43]

• Born in the Soviet Union, raised with military discipline and patriotism by her father.
• Soviet collapse brought instability, hunger, and a loss of societal trust.
• Aliia’s strict, Muslim/Tatar family upbringing prepped her for intelligence by toughening her, making her a top gun shooter and physically/mentally resilient ([31:12]).
• At 18, her father forced her into operative work, not fashion. She was routed into operational investigation (similar to a local KGB/DEA/FBI unit).
• At the academy, 5 women out of 300+ were singled out for a “special program” (not called "sexpionage" or "honeytrap"), which turned out to be the real thing.
• The “special program” curriculum: manipulation, seduction, influence, social engineering, threat assessment, martial arts, lock-picking, and sexual techniques—not for pleasure, but for operational advantage ([42:37–49:43]).

4. Systemic Sexual Abuse and the Dehumanization of Agents

[51:13–61:52]

• Aliia’s revelation: She was raped by a colleague within 2 weeks of starting. This was framed as part of the “training”—“your body belongs to the state.” ([51:19])
• Female cadets were routinely sexually abused by male instructors, manipulated under threat of career destruction or harm to family.
• She used seduction tradecraft to “shield” herself by making her abuser obsessed with her, protecting herself from worse fates ([106:41–107:43]).

Notable Moments

• On systemic abuse: “All teachers, they were male… they basically use [women] as meat… as a woman in the military, you couldn't say no.” ([58:36])
• Survival tactic: She pretended to be in a relationship with her main abuser to avoid being passed around further ([106:41]).

5. Realities of Tradecraft—How Operations Worked

[83:29–88:21]

• Missions ran from running classic honeytraps (posing as a prostitute to plant evidence or gain information), to deep undercover infiltration of gangs.
• Example: Building psychological profiles over months. For one target, her team recreated scenes reminiscent of his lost love to manipulate him into trust and vulnerability ([86:18–88:14]).
• “Anyone can be influenced”—all humans want to believe they are special or loved.

6. The Vladimir Operation: Love and Betrayal

[87:18–146:08]

• Her longest mission: eight months deep undercover with “Vladimir”, a criminal gang leader. She entered a fake “loving” relationship, feeding intel back to authorities.
• The operation ended when she was betrayed by her own commander for political gain, outed as a mole, and abducted and gang-raped as punishment. Vladimir, realizing her coerced role, arranged her escape and was killed soon after ([139:45]).
• Emotional aftermath:

  “When I realized that, I lost… all hope and belief in any kind of romanticized feeling of patriotism… this was betrayed by my own commanders, by my own government.” ([146:08])

Notable Quotes

• On patriotism:

  “Your job is so important because this allows civilians to sleep peacefully… But this was betrayed by my own commanders.” ([147:42])

• On love and survival:

  "Maybe I had attachment with him. I don't know… He sacrificed his life for a female he loved." ([148:47])

7. Healing, Psychedelic Therapy, and Ongoing Trauma

[154:15–159:30]

• Aliia describes using strict self-healing routines, abstaining from drugs and alcohol to avoid PTSD memory spirals.
• Shawn suggests psychedelic therapy for trauma; Aliia is unsure if she’s “powerful enough to process that.” ([154:39–156:13])
• The trust issues from her former life make recovery difficult—"I still do not feel stable… maybe in the future."

8. Going Public, Current Life, and Silicon Valley

[64:59–170:21]

• Aliia went public with her identity for safety—being public made intelligence agencies leave her alone.
• She now uses her tradecraft to teach women self-confidence, and gives lectures in Silicon Valley on “how to prevent manipulation”—not espionage ([170:21]).
• Tech executives in Silicon Valley are frequently targeted by honeypots, often through lovebombing online or in person. Aliia trains them to recognize red flags:
  • “Be aware of potential fake female accounts… why do they text you?”
  • “If you've never had a 10 come up to you and want to fuck you, and all of a sudden they're coming around—it's probably because they want your money or your tech.” ([171:56] – Shawn)

9. Tradecraft Lessons: Manipulation, Detection, and Self-Confidence

[186:13–194:57]

• Aliia applies manipulation skills for good—mentoring, motivating colleagues, and avoiding manipulation by others.
• She shares practical tips to spot liars and manipulators:
  • Anyone rushing you to act, distracting, or not giving time to process is a red flag.
  • Body language: crossed arms, covering mouth, avoiding eye contact (“hiding something”).
  • Always verify people’s stories and backgrounds before trusting them.

10. Female Empowerment, Relationships, and What Women Want

[197:05–205:13]

• Aliia advocates for teaching women self-confidence and clear communication in relationships.
• On what women want:

  “Women want stability. That’s it.” ([198:50])

  • Stresses that women should be clear with partners about desires and boundaries; men should focus on being stable, reliable, and honest.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• [09:06] - Aliia:
  “At the end of the day, when I saved someone's life, I felt good about it. But I never asked myself how I felt being in a body that was constantly abused and raped by random men.”

• [16:31] - Shawn:
  “If you are a man or a woman in a position of power… and all of a sudden young, attractive, foreign women or men are all around you and you're not used to that happening, there's probably something fucking going on. You're not that good looking.”

• [21:07] - Aliia (on tradecraft):
  “Men are the most vulnerable during intercourse…straight after ejaculation…is that very vulnerable moment. You ask a simple question, most likely he would tell you…she got the information, she'll pass it to the commander.”

• [58:36] - Aliia:
  “All teachers, they were male…they basically use [women] as meat…as a woman in the military, you couldn't say no.”

• [106:41] - Aliia (on surviving abuse):
  “I decided that I will play along and learn all the seduction techniques and use them on him, in order for him to sort of fall in love, be more interested, but also protect me. Because I knew that he wants you…he wouldn't want to share my body with anyone else.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------|-------------| | Silicon Valley and Modern Honeypots | 01:10–07:31 | | Trauma and Therapy After Sexpionage | 07:37–10:34 | | Upbringing, KGB School, and Recruitment | 27:22–49:43 | | Abuse in the Academy and Agent Training | 51:13–61:52 | | Deep Covers, Tradecraft in Action | 83:29–88:21 | | Vladimir Mission (Heroin & Betrayal) | 87:18–146:08| | Healing, Psychedelic Therapy | 154:15–159:30| | Going Public, Life in US, Silicon Valley | 64:59–170:21| | Tradecraft Lessons—Manipulation, Lies | 186:13–194:57| | Modern Relationships, Women’s Advice | 197:05–205:13|

Memorable/Funny Moments

• On the press:
  “Usually the press, they either exaggerate everything, or they write more and call me like these crazy names like, 'the Sex Spy Reveals the Confession.'” ([03:31] – Aliia)

• On manipulation aftermath:
  “Show me any man who doesn't want to believe that he's been loved because he's cute.” ([15:27] – Aliia)

• On U.S. coverage:
  “Everything came from America. American press...makes me a sex spy, and it went viral.” ([163:17] – Aliia)

• On using tradecraft for good:
  “Spy techniques can be used for good… motivate or inspire your colleagues... a wife can inspire and motivate and program her husband…for human progress.” ([186:13] – Aliia)

Practical Takeaways

• For Tech & Government Workers:

  • Always be skeptical of unsolicited attention from attractive strangers, especially online.
  • Authentic accounts and connections are rare; verify identities.
  • Recognize red flags: love bombing, fast escalation, requests for confidential info.

• For Survivors of Trauma:

  • Healing is ongoing; therapy and self-discipline are crucial.
  • Trust issues are natural, but sharing and support can help process past experiences.
  • Aliia is open about using her own trauma as fuel for helping others.

• For Everyone:

  • Manipulation happens at all levels; awareness is the first defense.
  • Clear communication and boundaries in relationships protect both heart and assets.

Closing

Aliia shares her plans for the future, including a book, documentary, and more lectures on human hacking and empowerment. The episode closes with a request for more female guests with psychological expertise and relationship coaching, and some wisdom: women want stability above all.

Shawn: “This was a fascinating conversation.”
Aliia: “Thank you so much…I really appreciate it.”