World Day Against Trafficking in Persons falls on July 30. This year’s United Nations campaign, “Trapped Behind the Scam,” addresses forced criminality within online scam operations, in which trafficking networks compel victims to run cyber fraud schemes such as romance scams and cryptocurrency fraud.
According to the United Nations, traffickers often lure victims with fake job ads promising legitimate work abroad, only for victims to arrive and find themselves confined in illegal scam compounds. Once trapped, victims face violence, threats, debt bondage, and work quotas, with little chance to escape.
In East and South-East Asia alone, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates scam operations caused between $18 billion and $37 billion in losses in 2023.
Saint Francis has been active in trafficking education, prevention, and response for years. Our Response Assessment Teams partner with the Kansas Department for Children and Families and law enforcement to identify immediate safety, placement, and treatment needs for youth judged as high-risk for trafficking. We regularly collaborate with law enforcement using the same victim-centered approach this year’s UN campaign calls for.
We also look for possible involvement among youth in care. If a youth is assessed to be at risk, we provide specific therapeutic services from a licensed therapist trained in human trafficking and trauma-informed care.
If you suspect a young person is being trafficked, call the Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888.
