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 What are the signs of modern day slavery and human trafficking?

A victim of human trafficking and modern day slavery may not even know they are a victim.  REMEMBER: a victim is being kept by force, fraud, or coercion, and the person enslaving them may be dangerous. Look for these signs rather than asking directly if they are a victim. If you see these signs and suspect some one is a victim, call the National Trafficking in Persons Hotline at

• 888-373-7888 (English)
• 888-80-AYUDA (Spanish)
• 888-976-5274 (Korean)

[List compiled by the Polaris Project]

Common Work and Living Conditions
The Individual(s) in Question:

• Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
• Is under 18 and is providing commercial sex acts
• Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp / manager
• Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
• Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
• Is not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restrictions at work
• Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
• Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
• High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)

Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior

• Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous / paranoid behavior
• Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up “law enforcement”
• Avoids eye contact

Poor Physical Health

• Lacks health care
• Appears malnourished
• Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture

Lack of Control

• Has few or no personal possessions
• Is not in control of his/her own money, no financial records, or bank account
• Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (ID or passport)
• Is not allowed or able to speak for themselves (a third party may insist on being present and/or translating)

Other

• Claims of “just visiting” and inability to clarify where he/she is staying / address
• Lack of knowledge of whereabouts and/or do not know what city he/she is in
• Loss of sense of time
• Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story

Note: This list is not exhaustive and rather represents a selection of possible indicators. Also, the red flags in this list may not be present in all trafficking cases and are not cumulative.