There’s a dark side to Craigslist that you may not be aware of. While it’s a great site for finding bargains on furniture, cars, and even houses, it’s also become a haven for human trafficking.
In fact, Craigslist has been linked to more than 700 cases of human trafficking in the United States since 2007. Most of the victims are young women and girls who are lured by promises of good jobs and then forced into prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation.
Some of the ads on Craigslist are innocuous enough. But others are clearly written by traffickers looking for victims. They use code words and phrases like “looking for a good time,” “party girls,” and “can travel.”
Traffickers often target young women and girls who are runaways or have unstable home lives. They may also prey on foreign nationals who are in the United States on temporary visas.
Once they’ve lured their victims, traffickers use a variety of methods to keep them under their control. They may threaten to hurt their families or report them to immigration authorities if they try to leave. They may also force them to take drugs to make them more compliant.
The victims are often forced to work long hours with little or no pay. They may be beaten or sexually abused if they don’t comply with their trafficker’s demands.
Sadly, many of the women and girls who are trafficked on Craigslist end up becoming addicted to drugs and trapped in a life of prostitution. Some are even sold into sex slavery.
If you suspect that someone is trying to traffick you or someone you know on Craigslist, there are some things you can do. You can report the ad to law enforcement or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. You can also try to contact the victim directly and offer help.
If you’re looking for a job on Craigslist, be sure to research the company thoroughly before applying. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. And never agree to meet someone you don’t know in person without first telling someone else where you’re going and taking safety precautions.
