Human trafficking is becoming more and more prevalent as it is being battled all across the world. Utah Department of Public Safety wants the public to know that it takes everyone’s help to identify and report possible human trafficking. Traffickers recognize and take advantage of people who are vulnerable which include generational trauma, historic oppression, discrimination, and other societal factors that create community-wide vulnerabilities. Beware of would-be employers who refuse to give workers a signed contract or ask them to sign a contract in a language they can’t read. Beware if a friend, family member, co-worker, or student are newly showered with gifts or money or otherwise becomes involved in an overwhelming, fast-moving, and asymmetric (e.g., large difference in age or financial status) romantic relationship. They might also be offered a job opportunity that seems too good to be true and especially if they are recruited for an opportunity that requires them to move far away, but there is a reluctance to provide detailed information about the job. Those that are frequent runaways or a teen who seems too close with someone they know solely on social media are especially vulnerable.
