Recognize the Signs
- Is the person unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips?
- Does the person work excessively long and/or unusual hours?
- Is the person not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restrictions at work?
- Does the person owe a large debt and is unable to pay it off?
- Was the person recruited under false promises concerning the nature and conditions of their work?
- Does the person live at their place of employment?
- Does the person live with multiple people in a cramped space?
- Is the person in the commercial sex industry and do they have a pimp/manager?
- Is the person under the age of 18 and providing commercial sex acts?
- Does the person appear overly anxious, fearful, paranoid?
- Does the person avoid eye contact?
- Does the person appear depressed, hopeless, exhibit self-destructive behaviors?
- Does the person appear to suffer from substance abuse disorders or post-traumatic stress?
- Is the person malnourished, exhibit untreated wounds, have older broken bones?
- Does the person have burn marks, bite marks, or branding tattoos?
- Is the person in control or possession of their personal identification, travel documents, money, financial records, bank account?
- Does the person have few or no personal possessions?
- If a minor, is the person enrolled in school?
While these questions may indicate the presence of human trafficking, if you are unsure, we recommend calling in a tip anyway. Your tip is anonymous and could lead to the recovery of a victim. To report a tip call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or text to 233733.
