Know the Signs

How to Recognize the Signs of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a hidden crime that thrives on secrecy, coercion, and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals. Recognizing the signs can save lives. Whether you’re a concerned citizen, a healthcare worker, or someone in law enforcement, understanding these indicators is crucial. Here’s how you can spot the signs that someone might be a victim of human trafficking.

General Trafficking Indicators

People who have been trafficked may:

Believe that they must work against their will
Be unable to leave their work environment
Show signs that their movements are being controlled
Feel that they cannot leave
Show fear or anxiety
Be subjected to violence or threats of violence against themselves or against their family members and loved ones
Suffer injuries that appear to be the result of an assault
Suffer injuries or impairments typical of certain jobs or control measures
Suffer injuries that appear to be the result of the application of control measures
Be distrustful of the authorities
Be threatened with being handed over to the authorities
Be afraid of revealing their immigration status
Not be in possession of their passports or other travel or identity documents, as those documents are being held by someone else
Have false identity or travel documents
Be found in or connected to a type of location likely to be used for exploiting people
Act as if they were instructed by someone else

Be unfamiliar with the local language
Be disciplined through punishment
Be unable to negotiate working conditions
Receive little or no payment
Have no access to their earnings
Work excessively long hours over long periods
Not have any days off
Live in poor or substandard accommodations
Have no access to medical care
Have limited or no social interaction
Have limited contact with their families or with people outside of their immediate environment
Be unable to communicate freely with others
Be under the perception that they are bonded by debt
Be in a situation of dependence
Come from a place known to be a source of human trafficking
Have had the fees for their transport to the country of destination paid for by facilitators, whom they must payback by working or providing services in the destination
Have acted on the basis of false promises
Not know their home or work address
Allow others to speak for them when addressed directly

Sex Trafficking Indicators

People who have been trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation may:

Be of any age, although the age may vary according to the location and the market
Move from one brothel to the next or work in various locations
Be escorted whenever they go to and return from work and other outside activities
Have tattoos or other marks indicating “ownership” by their exploiters
Work long hours or have few if any days off
Sleep where they work
Live or travel in a group, sometimes with other women who do not speak the same language
Have very few items of clothing
Have clothes that are mostly the kind typically worn for doing sex work
Only know how to say sex-related words in the local language or in the language of the client group
Have no cash of their own
Be unable to show an identity document

Labor Trafficking Indicators

People who have been trafficked for labor exploitation may:

Live in groups in the same place where they work and leave those premises infrequently, if at all
Live in degraded, unsuitable places, such as in agricultural or industrial buildings
Not be dressed adequately for the work they do: for example, they may lack protective equipment or warm clothing
Be given only leftovers to eat
Have no access to their earnings
Have no labor contract
Work excessively long hours
Depend on their employer for a number of services, including work, transportation and accommodation
Have no choice of accommodation
Never leave the work premises without their employer
Be unable to move freely
Be subject to security measures designed to keep them on the work premises
Be disciplined through fines
Be subjected to insults, abuse, threats or violence

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
For additional indicators of human trafficking please visit: www.unodc.org.

Get Help Now

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911. For more resources or to report suspicious activity, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to 233733.