Trafficking Avoidance: What You Need To Know
Common Lies Of Traffickers
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They may pose as a job opportunity.
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They may pose as a romantic connection.
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They may pose as a savior from the situation you are in.
It is very rare for someone to be kidnapped and trafficked. More often than not the trafficker has built a relationship with their victim.
Traffickers can be employers, yes, but can also be an intimate/romantic partner or someone else you trust, who manipulates or pushes us to do something we would not normally do.
Just because you are close with your trafficker and care for them, does not mean they can treat you unfairly. Exploitation and abuse have no excuse or justification. If you are being exploited in any of the ways described here, or in a form that is not listed here, it is unacceptable and there is confidential and safe help available.
Range of Roles
Traffickers can act alone or as part of organized criminal enterprises. They may include:
Recruiters: These individuals find and lure victims into trafficking situations.
Intermediaries: People who facilitate transportation or other logistics.
Transporters: Those responsible for moving victims across borders or within a country.
Document Providers: Individuals who forge or provide false documents.
Corrupt Officials: Officials who enable trafficking through bribery or other means.
Employers: Those who exploit victims for labor or services12.
Exploiters: The business of human trafficking is highly profitable, with low risks for traffickers. They choose to trade in humans because of low start-up costs, minimal risks, high profits, and significant demand. Unlike drugs, human beings can be sold repeatedly.
Relationships: Traffickers can be family members, romantic partners, acquaintances, or even strangers. They often exploit victims who come from the same ethnic group or country.
Strategies To Avoid Trafficking
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Basic necessities:
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Research any new work opportunity.
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If someone refuses to meet you in public or give you basic information, such as if an employer refuses to tell you the location of their business, it is reason for concern
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If a job offers to pay you "under the table" or offers a huge salary that seems too good to be true, walk away
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If you are a foreign national (not a legal citizen of any specific country) never give your identification papers to anyone.
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Tell someone where you are going and when if you are traveling for a new opportunity, whether it is for a job, a romantic relationship, or something else. Just have someone you trust updated on where you are and where you're going.
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If you feel in danger, move to a public area
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Call the National Trafficking Hotline if you have reason to worry. They DO NOT report immigration status.
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More Detail:
Strategies to Avoid Trafficking:
Examples of reasons to investigate more would be a refusal to answer any of the following questions or meet with you in a public place, lack of overall information, statements by the person not lining up with other things they've said, or them intimidating or pressuring you to tell them personal information or accept an offer after you have already refused.
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Research the company online. Find out if it is mentioned online, has a website, or has reviews by customers or workers
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Ask for information about the job. For example, ask about the type of work you’ll be doing, when and where you’ll be working, what, when, how, and how often you’ll be paid, and who your boss will be. If the employer refuses, this is reason for concern.
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If a job offers to pay you “under the table”, walk away.
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If a job offers you a huge salary that seems to good to be true, walk away.
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Ask to talk to other employees or customers about their experience with the company. If the employer refuses, that is reason for concern.
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Don’t share your personal information, such as your address, e-mail address, phone number, social media handles, Social Security number, or bank account information with a recruiter or employer if you don’t feel comfortable.
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If you are a foreign national (not a citizen of a specific country), do not give your identification papers to anyone.
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Trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, like if a person pressures you to accept a job, pressures you to move in with them, gets defensive when you ask questions, charges expenses that will be hard to repay, or the job seems too good to be true, don’t take the job or at least investigate further.
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Read through all contracts you're asked to sign, and get a second opinion if possible. If a contract is not in a language you speak fluently, use a reliable translation service (not Google Translate) to translate it before you sign. For help finding a reliable translation , contact us.
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Meet your new employer or love interest in a public place or office with other people around.
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Don’t give personal information including names, destination, or whether you are alone to strangers
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Don’t accept offers for rides from strangers
Other ways to reduce trafficking risk:
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Avoid posting personal information online/on social media
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Download Parachute. This app records and films you when in danger, even if your phone is snatched, and informs your emergency contacts and emergency services.
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If you are stalked, call 911
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If your new job or relationship is in another city, state, or country:
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Keep copies of important documents, such as your passport, visa (formal permission to work in another country), and driver’s license, in a safe place. Give a copy to a trusted relative or friend.
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Give your travel, work, and home contact information to a trusted relative or friend.
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Set a time to contact a relative or friend, by phone if possible, to let them know you arrived safely.
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Have access to a bank account and keep control of your money.
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Get a map of your new city. Learn how to get to the closest bank, police station, hospital, and, if relevant, embassy or consulate.
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Learn how to use local public transportation. Get a copy of public transportation maps and schedules. Ask people you trust or research to find out which stations to use, and if it’s safe to use by yourself.
If your new job is in a new country:
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Before you leave, make sure you have the right visa (formal permission to work in another country) and that you understand the rules related to your visa.
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Before you leave, make sure your passport is up to date and won’t expire soon.
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Before you leave, learn basic words that you'll need in the local language. If possible, download a translation app.
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Before you leave, learn what type of money is used, and how it translates to U.S. dollars.
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If you can, get some of the new country’s money before you leave.
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Make sure you can communicate with family and friends in the U.S. if you are leaving the country for a new job. Find out if your phone will work in the new country. If you need to get an international plan, buy a SIM card, or buy or rent a phone abroad.
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If you use a new SIM card or get a phone abroad, you’ll have a new phone number. Give the number to trusted family and friends immediately. Keep your original SIM card.
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If you buy or rent a phone abroad, bring contact information for family and friends and add it to your new phone.
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Learn how to contact emergency services. Memorize the phone number, save it on your phone, or keep it in a safe place.
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Register with the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. This free program helps the Embassy and your family and friends contact you in an emergency. The Embassy will also provide information about safety conditions in your new country. However, this program is only available to U.S. citizens/nationals.
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If the company is in the United States, ask for the Employer Identification Number (EIN).
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Call the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at (800) 829-4933 to make sure the information you were given is accurate. (will this report undocumented immigrants?)
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Tell a trusted friend or relative where you’re going, who you’re meeting with, and when you’ll be back. If you don’t have a trusted friend or relative, just ask someone you know. *I will provide here how to ask for this in English
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Get in a Life360 group with someone you know
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If you're attacked, fight back and don’t be afraid to make a scene and draw attention if need be.
Questions To Ask Yourself To Detect Trafficking Situations
If based on these questions, you feel you may be being trafficked or exploited, call the National Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888. They provide translation services and will not report immigration status. They will not contact the police if you do not want them to.You do not need to be sure that you are being trafficked. Just because something may not appear like the images of of human trafficking you may have been showed in the past, does not mean you are not being trafficked
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- Does a job seem too good to be true? If yes, it is a red flag
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- Very high pay for easy work? Quick fame? If either of these things are characteristics of a new opportunity you've been offered, it is a red flag.
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Who offered it to you? Do you feel pressured to accept? If yes, it is a red flag.
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Did you seek out the job, or did the person offering the job reach out to you online as a stranger? If you were offered the job online without seek8ing it out, investigate more.
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Do you feel pressured to take the job? For example, were you told that you had to say yes right away or someone else would get the job? If yes, it is a red flag.
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Were you offered a romantic connection in return for work? If yes, it is a red flag.
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Did the person who offered you a job or place to live only offer to date you if you took the job or lived with the,? Did the person threaten you, your family, or your friends if you refused to take the job or live with them? If yes, it is a red flag.
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Do you have to pay money to get the job or after you take the job? For example, is there a recruitment, placement, or travel fee?
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Do you have to travel? Who? What? When? Where? Why? If it is not explained to you why you need to come to a specific location for an opportunity, or overall the person offering you an opportunity refuses to answer your questions, it is a red flag.
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Are you being abused in the workplace? Are you being treated fairly? If no, it's a red flag.
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Do you live with your employer? If yes, it's a red flag.
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Does the job require you to live in a certain place, like with the employer or with other employees? If yes, it's a red flag.
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Is your job different than the job you were promised? If yes, it is a red flag.
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Are you forced to work? For example, does someone at work threaten to hurt you, your family, or your friends, or threaten to have any of you arrested or deported if you don’t work or if you complain about work? If yes, this IS human trafficking.
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Does your employer hurt or insult you or force you to do things that make you uncomfortable? If yes, it's a red flag.
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Does your employer try to stop you from leaving where you live or work? If yes, it's a red flag.
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Does your employer refuse to pay you or get angry if you ask for your pay? If yes, it's a red flag.
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If you are paid, are you paid less than you agreed to, or less than you expected to get? If yes, it's a red flag.
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Are you paid with housing, food, or things like gift cards instead of money? If yes, it is a red flag.
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Do you have control of your pay or does your employer control where your pay is kept and when and how it is used? If your employer is in control of where your pay goes and what it is used for, that is a major red flag.
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Are you working to pay off money your employer says you owe them? Does your employer keep some of your pay to repay money they say you owe them?
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Do you actually receive payment or is your money being held for you? If the second is true, it is a red flag.
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Do you owe your employer money? If yes, it is a red flag.
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Does your employer give you drugs or alcohol? Does your employer require you to use drugs or drink alcohol?
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Does your employer or romantic partner use your involvement in their crimes or your drug use to force you to stay with them?
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Does your employer make sexual comments about you, show you pictures or videos of naked people, ask you for naked pictures or videos, or threaten to send such pictures or videos to others or post them online? If the answer to any of these are yes, that is a red flag.
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Does your romantic partner pressure you for naked pictures or videos, pressure you to post sexual content online, or post sexual content of you line without your consent? If the answer to any of these is yes, you are being exploited and possibly trafficked.
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Does your employer make you participate in sex acts at work for money or something else of value? If the answer is yes and this is not what you want to be doing for work, it is a red flag.
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Does your employer refuse to let you eat, rest, or get medical care, or limit the amount of food, rest, or medical care you get? If yes, you are being exploited and should seek help.
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Does your employer try to keep you away from your friends r family in person or online? If yes, it is a red flag.
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Are you afraid of your employer or people working for your employer? If yes, it is a red flag.
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Does your employer have a healthy online presence? If no, it is red flag. Ways to investigate this are to:
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Check out their social media platforms.
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Look up the company online. Call the number listed. Check if the website is fully built out.
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Look up the person you’ve been in contact with on LinkedIn, Instagram, and the internet. You can message one of their friends on social media and see if they’re a bot.
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Is someone attempting to isolate you or cut you off from the outside world? Are the boundaries you've asked for from someone being crossed?
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Do you live and work in the same place? If yes, it is a red flag.
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Are you in possession of your own legal (I.D.) documents? If no, it is a red flag.
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Were you provided false documents or identification for your work or for your relationship? If yes, it is a red flag.
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Are you asked to not talk to police, doctors, or other officials by your employer? If yes, it is a red flag.