How ‘sex warfare’ is hitting Silicon Valley:Chinese and Russian female spies using seduction to steal America’s defense and AI tech secrets

In Silicon Valley, where startups chase innovation and billions are at stake, a different kind of game is unfolding, one powered by seduction, secrets, and spies.
Reports claim that female agents from China and Russia are using romance, charm, and long-term relationships to steal America’s most valuable tech secrets. The rise of ‘sex warfare’ According to an investigation by The Times (UK), intelligence agencies in China and Russia are allegedly sending female operatives to target key people in the U.S. tech industry, from engineers and AI researchers to company executives.
These women reportedly form romantic relationships, marry, or even have children with their targets to gain access to sensitive data. Experts describe this as a modern version of Cold War “honeypot” tactics or “honey trap”, now adapted for the digital age. The goal is to infiltrate Silicon Valley’s most innovative companies and quietly extract trade secrets. Romance meets espionage Current and former U.S. counterintelligence officers told The Times that these spies use “romance, seduction, and emotional manipulation” to build long-term trust with their targets. One former U.S. officer said: Showing up, marrying a target, having kids with a target, and conducting a lifelong collection operation, it’s very uncomfortable to think about, but it’s so prevalent. James Mulvenon, Chief Intelligence Officer at Pamir Consulting, said he’s seen a surge in suspicious online interactions. He told The Times: I’m getting an enormous number of very sophisticated LinkedIn requests from the same type of attractive young Chinese woman. It really seems to have ramped up recently. Mulvenon also shared an incident from a Virginia business event where two “well-prepared Chinese women” tried to attend a private discussion on China-related investment risks. “It’s a phenomenon,” he said. “And I will tell you: it is weird.” The long game One case highlighted in The Times report involved a Russian woman who married an American aerospace engineer while secretly trained in “soft-power” intelligence work. She later resurfaced in U.S. defense and cryptocurrency circles, allegedly continuing her covert mission, all while her husband remained unaware of her true background. Experts say these operations often span years, blurring the line between personal relationships and professional espionage.
The spies aren’t after military secrets alone; they’re targeting data on AI, defense technology, and even biotech innovations. China’s “whole-of-society” strategy U.S. intelligence officials say China’s espionage network has evolved beyond traditional spies. Today, they claim, ordinary civilians, from students to businesspeople, are being used to gather intelligence. One senior official told The Times: I’m getting an enormous number of very sophisticated LinkedIn requests from the same type of attractive young Chinese woman,” he told The Times. “It really seems to have ramped up recently. The economic stakes are enormous. The Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property estimates that U.S. companies lose up to $600 billion a year to economic espionage and trade secret theft, with China linked to most of those cases. When pitch events become traps Not all traps start with flirtation. Some come disguised as “innovation contests” or “investment events.” U.S. officials warn that certain Chinese-funded startup competitions secretly record presentations and collect data to exploit new ideas. One biotech CEO told The Times that after winning $50,000 in such a contest, his company’s federal funding was suddenly frozen. “They recorded everything,” he said. “Every word, every detail.” Elon Musk’s take: “If she’s a 10, you’re an asset” As the report gained attention, Elon Musk couldn’t resist weighing in. Reacting to the news on X (formerly Twitter), the SpaceX and Tesla CEO wrote: His tongue-in-cheek comment quickly went viral, equal parts humor and warning. Musk’s quip captured how surreal and dangerous this new form of espionage has become, especially in a world where personal and professional lives often blur. Why is this issue alarming Experts warn that “sex warfare” is just one part of a larger intelligence push targeting America’s innovation ecosystem.
Jeff Stoff, a former U.S. national security analyst, said: China is targeting our startups, our academic institutions, our innovators. It’s all part of China’s economic warfare strategy, and we’ve not even entered the battlefield. Today, spies aren’t sneaking into embassies; they’re blending into tech conferences, startups, and LinkedIn feeds.