Black Widow Scam In Russia: Wartime Brides Honey-Trapping Soldiers For Millions After Their Death? A shocking ‘Black Widows’ controversy has emerged in Russia, where women are accused of marrying soldiers before war deployment and claiming millions in death benefits after they are killed. Under Russian military rules, families of soldiers killed in combat can receive large financial compensation. Authorities and Russian media have used the term “black widows” for women accused of marrying vulnerable soldiers and later claiming death benefits while excluding their original families. In one reported case, a military hospital nurse faced allegations of marrying multiple soldiers before claiming benefits after their deaths.