Indicators of Human Trafficking

No control of identification, documents, tickets, boarding passes, money, and/or phone.

Holds or controls another person’s identification, documents, tickets, boarding passes, money, and/or phone.

Controlled or unusually submissive to a traveling companion.

Exerts visible control over a traveling companion or elicits unusually submissive behavior from them.

No freedom of movement or social interaction.

Restricts another person’s freedom of movement or social interaction.

Traveling with few or no belongings (e.g., no purse or wallet), especially for long-distance travel.

Accompanies a person who has few or no belongings (e.g., no purse or wallet), especially for long-distance travel, while the controlling individual appears adequately equipped.

Not allowed to speak for themselves (a third party may insist on speaking for them or respond before they have a chance to say anything).

Insists on speaking for another person or answers before they have a chance to say anything.

Travel companion insists on providing translation.

Insists on providing translation for a traveling companion and may appear to limit or filter what the companion communicates.

Answers may sound scripted or inconsistent; provides inconsistent stories in contrast with travel companion(s).

Coaches, prompts, or signals a traveling companion whose answers sound scripted or inconsistent; provides a story that conflicts with their companion’s account.

Indicates they are being held against their will.

Accompanies a person who indicates they are being held against their will.

Acknowledges that they are controlled by a third party or have a quota to meet.

Is identified by an individual at risk as the person controlling them or enforcing a quota.

Avoids and distrusts authority figures, including law enforcement, and may be combative.

Discourages or prevents a traveling companion from interacting with authority figures, including law enforcement.

Signs of verbal threats, physical and emotional abuse, and/or being treated in a demeaning way.

Engages in verbal threats, physical intimidation, emotional abuse, and/or demeaning treatment.

Signs of burns, tattoos, or branding to denote ownership.

Accompanies a person who bears signs of burns, tattoos, or branding that may denote ownership.

Signs of neglect, malnourishment, poor hygiene, fatigue, sleep deprivation, untreated illness, injuries, and/or unusual behavior.

Accompanies a person who, relative to the suspected trafficker, shows signs of neglect, malnourishment, poor hygiene, fatigue, sleep deprivation, untreated illness, injuries, and/or unusual behavior.

May seem unusually silent, avoidant, hypervigilant, intimidated, or mentally shut down.

Accompanies a person who seems unusually silent, avoidant, hypervigilant, intimidated, or mentally shut down in the suspected trafficker’s presence.

Shows signs of substance dependency that appears to be maintained or exploited by a travel companion.

Manages access to substance(s) to maintain another person’s dependency (appears to supply, dose, or withhold substances to maintain another person’s dependency)

Exhibits fearful, anxious, depressed, nervous, hypervigilant, paranoid, or submissive behavior.

Presence triggers or intensifies fearful, anxious, depressed, nervous, hypervigilant, paranoid, or submissive behavior in a companion.

Exhibits signs of self-harm/suicidal ideation.

Accompanies a person who exhibits signs of self-harm or suicidal ideation.

Logistically unaware of where they are, where they are going, where they have been, or how they might arrive at their final destination.

Controls all routing information while accompanying a person who appears logistically unaware of where they are, where they are going, where they have been, or how they might arrive at their final destination.

May appear drugged, disassociated, disoriented, or to have lost sense of time or location.

Accompanies a person who may, relative to the suspected trafficker, appear drugged, dissociated, disoriented, or to have lost sense of time or location.

Does not know their home or work address.

Accompanies a person who does not know their home or work address.

May not know the contact information for the person who will be meeting them or the address of their final destination.

Controls all destination and contact information.

Minors traveling without adult supervision.

N/A

Minors traveling during the school day.

N/A

Minor alone for an extended period, seemingly without a clear destination or plan and is observed being approached by an unknown adult and engaging in ways that suggest acceptance of offered help.

An adult approaching unaccompanied  minors at transit stations, bus terminals, or train platforms and offering assistance, rides, food, money or employment.

Minors traveling with adults that seem abusive.

An adult exhibiting abusive or controlling behavior toward a minor traveling companion.

A child/person within a family appearing particularly unkempt and uncared for, particularly in the context of labor trafficking.

An adult traveling with a child/minor who, relative to the adult, appears particularly unkempt and uncared for, particularly in a context suggesting labor exploitation.

Appears to be with a group of children traveling with an older, unrelated adult.

An older, unrelated adult traveling with a group of children.

Falsifies their age.

Accompanies a minor who falsifies their age; may coach or direct the minor to do so.

Minors seeking to obtain an ID or individuals seeking to obtain an ID in a different name.

Assists a minor in seeking to obtain an ID or seeks to obtain an ID for a minor in a different name.

Indicator

At Risk Individuals
(may travel alone)

Suspected Traffickers

Traveling to obtain a job with no specific information, such as who will be meeting them.

Recruits a person without specifying who will be meeting them.

Did not receive a work contract or did not receive a work contract in their native language.

Fails to provide a work contract or provides a work contract not in the worker’s native language.

May have limited information about specifics of anticipated employment and/or unrealistic information about the amount of money they will be earning.

Provides limited, vague, or unrealistic information about anticipated employment conditions and/or the amount of money the worker will earn.

Improper or inadequate clothing for work.

Fails to provide workers with proper or adequate clothing for their work.

Pays exorbitant recruitment fees necessitating having taken on a debt to a third party.

Charges exorbitant recruitment fees, creating debt bondage to themselves or a third party.

Works excessively long hours, is provided few or no breaks, and/or has indicated their employer is withholding pay.

Requires workers to work excessively long hours, provides few or no breaks, and/or withholds pay.

Feels pressured, manipulated, or forced to work beyond their existing work contract without their consent.

Pressures, manipulates, or forces a person to work beyond their existing work contract without their consent.

Inadequate or unsafe workplace equipment for job.

Provides inadequate or unsafe workplace equipment.

A highly controlled and/or hazardous, unsafe work setting (may contain substandard, unsafe and closely monitored housing).

Maintains a highly controlled and/or hazardous, unsafe work setting (may include substandard, unsafe, and closely monitored housing).

A work site that has heavy or excessive security measures that seem out of place.

Maintains a work site with heavy or excessive security measures that seem out of place.

Signs of bedding in odd locations (e.g., backroom of a store).

Maintains bedding in odd workplace locations (e.g., backroom of a store).

Improper clothing for weather or travel route.

Accompanies a person who, relative to the suspected trafficker, is wearing improper clothing for the weather or travel route. 

References frequent travel to other cities or towns.

Arranges or directs frequent travel for another person to other cities or towns.

Using false identity or travel documents.

Provides, arranges, or possesses false identity or travel documents for use by others.

Acknowledges they have a debt and are being pressured to work or have sex to pay it back.

Creates or enforces a debt and pressures another person to work or have sex to repay it.

Has a language barrier with their travel companion.

Accompanies a person with whom they share no common language, relying on control rather than communication.

Appears to be with a noticeably older romantic partner.

Appears as a noticeably older romantic partner to a traveling companion.

Uses prepaid credit cards and gift cards.

Provides prepaid credit cards and gift cards for transactions.

Offers to exchange sex for transportation, food, shelter, or assistance.

N/A

Indicates that they have been threatened with deportation or law enforcement action.

Threatens another person with deportation or law enforcement action as a means of control.

Shows signs of criminal indicators, such as possession of drugs, stolen property, etc.

Compels another person to possess or distribute drugs, stolen property, or other indicators of criminal activity.

Deposits large amounts of money multiple times in one day.

Directs or accompanies another person who deposits large amounts of money multiple times in one day.

Does not know the person who purchased their ticket, how the ticket was purchased, who is picking them up, and/or who is traveling with them.

Purchases a ticket for another person who does not appear to know them, how the ticket was purchased, who is picking them up, and/or who is traveling with them.

Traveling on a one-way, last-minute, stand-by, or same-day booking paid by someone else in cash.

Purchases one-way, last-minute, stand-by, or same-day tickets for another person, paying in cash.

Traveling with little or no money or personal items, such as luggage or carry-on bags.

Accompanies a person who has little or no money or personal items, such as luggage or carry-on bags, while the suspected trafficker may be adequately equipped.

Seems unaware of what items are in their checked baggage.

Travels with or sends a person who seems unaware of what items are in their checked baggage.

A stranded, distressed, or newly arrived traveler who appears to accept help from a stranger.

Offering rides, accommodation, food, shelter, or employment to seemingly stranded, distressed, or newly arrived travelers.

Does not know the person who purchased their ticket, how the ticket was purchased, who is picking them up, and/or who is traveling with them.

Purchases a ticket for another person who does not appear to know them, how the ticket was purchased, who is picking them up, and/or who is traveling with them.

Traveling on a one-way, last-minute, stand-by, or same-day booking paid by someone else in cash.

Purchases one-way, last-minute, stand-by, or same-day tickets for another person, paying in cash.

A stranded, distressed, or newly arrived traveler who appears to accept help from a stranger.

Offering rides, accommodation, food, shelter, or employment to seemingly stranded, distressed, or newly arrived travelers.

Unexplained changes in attire, material possessions, personal hygiene, behavior, relationships, attendance, and/or academic performance.

An adult whose contact with a student correlates with unexplained changes in the student’s attire, material possessions, personal hygiene, behavior, relationships, attendance, and/or academic performance.

New signs of fatigue, substance use, irritability, mood swings, panic, or shame.

An adult whose contact with a student correlates with new signs of fatigue, substance use, irritability, mood swings, panic, or shame in the student.

Comments suggesting a student is exchanging sex for money, material items, shelter, etc.

An adult identified through student comments as someone for whom the student is exchanging sex for money, material items, shelter, etc.

Comments indicating a student formed an inappropriate relationship online, has an older romantic partner, or is making a quota.

An adult identified through student comments as having formed an inappropriate relationship with the student online, as being an older romantic partner, or as imposing a quota on the student.

Does not know the person who purchased their ticket, how the ticket was purchased, who is picking them up, and/or who is traveling with them.

Purchases a ticket for another person who does not appear to know them, how the ticket was purchased, who is picking them up, and/or who is traveling with them.

Traveling on a one-way, last-minute, stand-by, or same-day booking paid by someone else in cash.

Purchases one-way, last-minute, stand-by, or same-day tickets for another person, paying in cash.

Crew who never leave the vessel during port stays (no shore leave, documents, or independent movement ashore).

An operator, master, or supervisor preventing crew from disembarking during port calls (by holding documents, posting watch, withholding pay, threat, etc.).

Crew showing excessive fatigue, untreated injury, or malnourishment.

Operator or supervisor driving crew or workers past legal hours and physical recovery (denying rest, food, or medical care, keeping injured workers on task, etc.).

A stranded, distressed, or newly arrived traveler who appears to accept help from a stranger.

Offering rides, accommodation, food, shelter, or employment to seemingly stranded, distressed, or newly arrived travelers.

Traversing, trespassing, or solicitation in rights-of-way or construction areas.

Directs or transports individuals to traverse, trespass, or solicit in rights-of-way or construction areas.

Signs of a struggle, discarded clothing, and/or living materials in rights-of-way or construction areas.

Is associated with signs of a struggle, discarded clothing, and/or living materials found in rights-of-way or construction areas.

Unauthorized personnel using construction sites for shelter.

Directs or enables unauthorized personnel to use construction sites for shelter.

A vehicle that repeatedly drops off individuals and then returns a short while later to pick them up near man-camps, pipeline projects, mining or drilling areas, hotels/motels, and popular recreational areas.

Operates a vehicle that repeatedly drops off individuals and then returns a short while later to pick them up near man-camps, pipeline projects, mining or drilling areas, hotels/motels, and popular recreational areas.

Does not know the person who purchased their ticket, how the ticket was purchased, who is picking them up, and/or who is traveling with them.

Purchases a ticket for another person who does not appear to know them, how the ticket was purchased, who is picking them up, and/or who is traveling with them.

Traveling on a one-way, last-minute, stand-by, or same-day booking paid by someone else in cash.

Purchases one-way, last-minute, stand-by, or same-day tickets for another person, paying in cash.

A stranded, distressed, or newly arrived traveler who appears to accept help from a stranger.

Offering rides, accommodation, food, shelter, or employment to seemingly stranded, distressed, or newly arrived travelers.

Rider or small group repeatedly on the same line with no apparent destination and appearing to solicit other riders.

Compelling an individual or group on repeated loops of the same commuter rail to solicit other riders.

Does not know the person who arranged it, how it was paid for, who is meeting them, and/or who is traveling with them.

Appears distressed or fearful in relation to whoever ordered the ride or is waiting at the destination.

Repeated short trips to a hotel/motel at odd hours.

In a location where citizens band (CB) radio is broadcasting about “commercial company” or flashing lights signaling “buyer” location.

Communicates via citizens band (CB) radio about “commercial company” or uses flashing lights to signal “buyer” location.

In or around a van or RV out by trucks that seems out of place.

Operates or is associated with a van or RV out by trucks that seems out of place.

Dropped off by someone off at a truck and picked up 15–20 minutes later.

Operates a vehicle that drops someone off at a truck and picks them up 15–20 minutes later.

An individual going from truck to truck.

Directs or accompanies an individual going from truck to truck.

An individual spending excessive amounts of time near or in truck stop showers and bathrooms.

Directs or is associated with an individual spending excessive amounts of time near or in truck stop showers and bathrooms.