Russia’s ‘black widows’ scandal: wartime brides cashing in on soldiers’ death benefits
CNN reports a surge of scams in Russia where women marry army recruits to become their next of kin and claim the military’s lump-sum death payments, sometimes starting at 5 million rubles. Referred to as “black widows,” these schemes involve sham or hurried marriages (even on a soldier’s deathbed), with prosecutions and public outcry prompting calls for a crackdown. The fake marriages often target vulnerable men (including orphans) and are tied to broader concerns about war casualties, a struggling economy, and efforts by authorities to protect families of service members.