Human trafficking is not always obvious from the outside. When reviewing a potential case, our legal team looks for patterns of control, exploitation, deception, isolation, or financial benefit.

A human trafficking case may involve warning signs such as:

• A potential employer refusing to provide a signed contract
• A worker being asked to sign a contract in a language they cannot read or understand
• A person being charged fees for the “opportunity” to work
• A job offer that sounds too good to be true
• A recruiter or employer asking someone to move far away without providing clear details
• A recruiter avoiding questions about the job, pay, housing, transportation, or working conditions
• A sudden romantic relationship that feels intense or controlling, or one that features an unbalanced power dynamic (e.g., a significant age gap or differing socioeconomic statuses)
• A young person frequently running away or staying with someone who is not their parent or guardian
• A person developing a close relationship with someone they only know through social media
• A person being pressured, manipulated, threatened, or controlled by someone who benefits from their labor, services, or sexual exploitation

These signs do not prove human trafficking on their own, and you do not need to have everything figured out before contacting us.

If something about your situation feels wrong, our team will review what happened, walk you through your legal options, and help you determine whether you may have a human trafficking claim.

Human trafficking cases may involve sex trafficking, labor trafficking, or both. This distinction matters because it helps our legal team understand who benefited from your exploitation and what evidence may support your case.

Both sex trafficking and labor trafficking are forms of modern-day slavery that are facilitated by force, fraud, or coercion. However, sex trafficking involves commercial sex acts, while labor trafficking involves working or providing services.

When evaluating your case, we may look at:

• Whether you were pressured, threatened, manipulated, or controlled
• Whether someone profited from your labor, services, or sexual exploitation
• Whether you were under 18 when any commercial sex act occurred
• Whether housing, transportation, money, drugs, documents, or fear were used to control you
• Whether an employer, recruiter, hotel, business, financial institution, or other party ignored warning signs
• Whether the abuse was part of a larger pattern or trafficking operation

You do not need to know exactly what type of trafficking occurred before calling us. If you were exploited or used for someone else’s benefit, we can help determine whether you may have a civil human trafficking case.