‘Putin personally allowed me to hunt them’: How fraudsters use repression against LGBTQ+ people in Russia

LGBTQ+ individuals find it harder to ask for help, making them easy targets for criminals

Originally published on Global Voices

This article was originally published in the online magazine Baikal People. Global Voices is republishing a translated and edited version, with permission.

The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs plans to launch tracking of people allegedly belonging to the so-called “LGBTQ+ public movement,” which was declared an “extremist organization” in Russia. Law enforcement agencies across the country are collecting data on LGBTQ+ people.  

At the same time, the number of crimes against LGBTQ+ people in Russia is rising. According to calculations by the LGBTQ+ Case project, in 2023, queer individuals sought legal assistance 3.4 times more often than in 2022. More than 10 percent of cases involved people who had experienced violence. There are no official statistics on how many crimes are committed against LGBTQ+ people. Lawyers say such crimes most often go unreported.  

Monitoring by human rights organizations Vyhod and Sfera showed that more than half of respondents who faced violence in 2022 refused to go to the police. Many fear outing and possible restrictions on their rights, including expulsion from educational institutions, job loss, persecution, and violence.  

According to LGBTQ+ rights lawyer Maks Olenichev:

In Russia, patriarchal ideas are strengthening — there is a growing perception in society that LGBTQ+ people violate “traditional values.” This, in the eyes of criminals (though not the law), justifies violence against them.

Another LGBTQ+ rights lawyer, who works and lives in Russia (and therefore chose to remain anonymous), notes a rise in cases of blackmail and fake dating setups. In his opinion, over the past two years, criminals have often acted out of political motives rather than just for financial gain, as was more common before.  

In 2023, a survey by Russian Field found that 62 percent of respondents believed LGBTQ+ people should not have equal rights.  

Over the past three years, Russian authorities have tightened laws against the LGBTQ+ community. In December 2022, they passed a “law on the complete ban of LGBTQ+ propaganda;” in July 2023, they prohibited gender transition; in October 2023, they declared the so-called LGBTQ+ movement an “extremist organization.”  

The Supreme Court's decision to classify the LGBTQ+ movement as an “extremist organization” and ban its activities further reinforced the perception of community members as lawbreakers.  

Queer activist Dasha was subjected to blackmail in the summer of 2024. She received a message from an unknown Telegram account: “I saw you in the ‘Lesbian Lobby’ chat, let's get to know each other.” After chatting for two weeks, her conversation partner — who also showed interest in Dasha's former partners — asked her to send photos: “You're the most beautiful, why are you shy?”  

Dasha refused and received a response: “Do your parents know what you’re up to? That you write all sorts of [prohibited] things in a country where there are laws about traditional orientation?” 

The new acquaintance then suggested they “meet and come to an agreement” so that “this doesn’t get out anywhere.” Dasha did not respond and deleted the chat. Soon after, she began experiencing panic attacks. “I was just really scared,” she explains.

I kept expecting them to show up at my home or workplace. I used to think that if I wasn’t hiding the fact that I’m a lesbian, no one could use it against me. But then this happened. Now I’m much more cautious. 

Other members of LGBTQ+ related Telegram channels have reported similar experiences. These conversations often end in fake dates, blackmail, and extortion.  

Chats within these channels were initially created as safe spaces where queer people could share. Channel admins moderate discussions, creating the impression that the space is secure. This makes users lower their guard. Fraudsters exploit this trust by pretending to be chat participants.  

Besides fake profile pictures and repetitive messages, suspicious contacts often follow certain patterns. For example, Sonia and Fran received messages from strangers claiming to have attended a specific university: “My name is Masha, I’m a marketologist, I graduated from MGIMO.”  These repeating patterns suggest that a single person or group is behind these messages, operating with a common goal.  

Previously, blackmailers threatened to out their victims to family or colleagues, but now, the potential consequences have become much more severe.  

Researcher Maria Kozlovskaya, in an article on the status of queer people in Russia, notes that LGBTQ+ individuals find it harder to ask for help, making them easy targets for criminals. With fewer rights, they are easier to rob.   

As a rule, perpetrators reveal their true intentions during the first meeting and force their victims to record videos with incriminating statements (such as false confessions of pedophilia). In one of the largest known cases, extortionists blackmailed more than a hundred people in this manner.  

LGBTQ+ lawyer, Maks Olenichev, emphasizes: if a law enforcement officer threatens you with criminal prosecution for being a queer person, and demands money for silence, that person is committing a crime. You can take screenshots of such correspondence and file a complaint with the Investigative Committee through its website to initiate a criminal case for extortion under Article 163 of the Criminal Code.

Queer individuals in Russia today can be charged under Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (“Propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations and/or preferences, gender transition, rejection of childbirth”) and Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Organization of activities of an extremist organization”). Human rights advocates find it difficult to define a precise list of actions that may be deemed propaganda or participation in an extremist organization (moreover, there is no such thing as an official LGBTQ+ organization).

One of the most high-profile cases occurred in November 2024, when the director of the travel agency Men Travel, Andrey Kotov, was arrested and accused of creating an extremist community. The “LGBTQ+ movement” was not directly mentioned, but the media speculated that the reason was the organization of “tours for gay men.” Kotov was found dead in a pre-trial detention center on December 29. According to investigators, he committed suicide.

Human rights advocates also highlight the persecution of parents of LGBTQ+ teenagers. In two cases, mothers were accused of “failing to fulfill parental responsibilities” due to social media posts, and the father of a transgender teenager was stripped of parental rights altogether.

Scammers propose going to the theater, sending phishing links for ticket purchases, or even offering investment opportunities. Vlad, a subscriber of the ParniPlus Telegram channel, recounts how a young man messaged him, claiming to be part of the chat.

The two exchanged messages for over a week. According to Vlad, the stranger seemed to know exactly what he wanted to hear, skillfully eliciting sympathy, likely to gain trust. After a week, he suggested investing, calling it a “unique opportunity to make money.”

“This was something new,” Vlad thought. “Previously, people messaged me with ‘send nudes’ or ‘people like you should be in a mental hospital,’ but now it’s an investment.” After this proposal, he blocked the person.

In May and June 2022, a Moscow court reviewed a case involving fake dates and subsequent blackmail. The lawyer handling the case recalls the defendant saying in court:

I am the forest ranger. I don’t know why you are judging me. Putin personally allowed me to hunt these people.

According to lawyers, when reporting a crime to the police, stating one’s affiliation with the LGBTQ+ community is not a violation of anti-extremist laws. The rights of queer individuals should be upheld just like the rights of others. It is crucial to seek help from friendly organizations and, with their support, approach the police. When human rights teams receive complaints, they conduct independent investigations: collecting evidence before presenting it to law enforcement. The police usually welcome such cases because the evidence is already gathered — meaning someone can  be arrested, boosting statistics.

Written by Baikal People Journal