How to Report Suspected Human Trafficking 

Human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of someone for the purposes of compelled labor or a commercial sex act through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. In instances where a person younger than 18 is induced to perform a commercial sex act, it is a crime regardless of whether there is any force, fraud, or coercion.

Victims can be anyone from around the world or right next door: adults and children, citizens and non-citizens alike. Human trafficking victims can be of any age, sex, race, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, religion, national origin, education level, or citizenship status. Rather than being motivated by any single identity or demographic, human trafficking indicators identify objective signs that could indicate potential criminal activity.  
 

Do No Harm

When encountering suspected instances of human trafficking, do not alert the suspected victims or traffickers by confronting them or drawing unnecessary attention to yourself. Ensure the safety of the suspected victim, yourself, and others by reporting your tip as soon as possible. Remember, it is not your responsibility to determine if a tip is actionable, or to directly investigate or intervene. That responsibility lies solely with law enforcement, and while their response might not be visibly apparent to you, be assured that your tip will be taken seriously.
 

Reporting Goal

Reporting suspected human trafficking is always the right thing to do. By itself or combined with other information, your tip may help law enforcement build a case against a trafficker and help a victim. Reporting also helps to identify potential “hot spots” of activity that could help law enforcement break up a trafficking ring. You may never know the outcome of the resulting investigation, but by reporting what you see, you just might assist someone in escaping.
 

What to Include in a Reported Tip

When reporting suspected human trafficking activity, it’s critical that you include as many details as possible. Start by including basic information such as the method of transportation, point of departure, and final destination.

Details Are Critical

Provide as much information about the suspected victim and trafficker as you can, including: 

• When you saw it (date and time) 
• Where it occurred (where you noticed the suspicious activity and any movement, if applicable, including related modes of transport) 
• Who or what you saw (physical identifiers, nicknames overheard, date of birth, passport or driver’s license number, citizenship, telephone number, address, license plate, etc.) 
• Why it’s suspicious (what behaviors or observations led you to report a tip)

Then describe exactly what you saw or heard in detail. Keeping detailed notes can be helpful, such as, “Scar on forehead,” “left wrist in cast,” “appeared disoriented with slurred speech,” “companion seemed to jump in to do the talking,” and “observed in front of Gate L14 between 11:45am and 12:15pm.”

Follow-Up Questions

When speaking with a Hotline Advocate, they will ask questions to determine if what you've observed could be potential sex trafficking, labor trafficking, or another crime. Questions will assess elements such as the presence of indicators of individuals unable to leave their work situations or information indicating that someone is being forced, coerced, or defrauded into a situation involving commercial sex.
 

How to Report a Tip
 

1. REPORT INTERNALLY

Report to your internal security.
 

2. IMMEDIATE DANGER? 911

Call 911 for immediate danger, including minor involvement.
 

3. REPORT TO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
 

National Human Trafficking Hotline 

Report a tip to the National Human Trafficking Hotline by phone, text, or web form:

• Call: 1-888-373-7888
• Text: INFO or HELP to BeFree (233733) 
• Web: humantraffickinghotline.org or submit a web form

This national, toll-free hotline is available to answer calls in over 200 languages from anywhere in the United States, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The confidential hotline is operated by a nongovernmental organization funded by the federal government; it is not a law enforcement or immigration authority. 
 

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tip Line 

Call: 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) 

Web: Submit a web form

Report suspected human trafficking activity and receive support through the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tip Line. Highly trained specialists take reports from both the public and law enforcement agencies on more than 400 laws enforced by ICE HSI, including those related to human trafficking.
 

StrongHearts Native Helpline

Call: 1-844-7NATIVE (1-844-762-8423) 

Web: Chat Online

The StrongHearts Native Helpline is a safe, confidential, and anonymous helpline for Native Americans affected by domestic violence and dating violence. The helpline takes calls related to human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual violence and connects callers to the National Human Trafficking Hotline when needed. If it’s not safe to call, online chat and text advocacy sessions are also available. Users receive one-on-one, real-time, confidential information from a trained advocate. Support and referrals to resources are available for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
 

4. TRACK TIP

Enter the full tip details into your internal tracking system. Transportation organization reporting protocols should capture standardized incident fields with a clear event code. These sample data fields help transportation entities capture counter-trafficking reports consistently and connect their data to the broader transportation sector.