What does #humantrafficking really look like?
Would you know it if you saw it? Would you recognize the signs if it was presented to you?

Without the training and experience I’ve had, I can confidently say ‘no’, I would not have.

Social media paints a pretty graphic picture and – don’t get me wrong – the reality is graphic, but it’s not always as obvious as you think.

48 hours ago, I was in the #atlanta airport.

With some time to kill, I decided to walk down from my gate and grab a coffee.

While I was walking, a woman came out of a store, made eye contact and stopped right in front of me.
She wasn’t scared, drugged or bruised.

The Approach.

She looked to be mid forties, and appeared to take good care of herself. Nails, hair and clothing were nice but modest – wearing a green long sleeve top and jeans.

The Analysis.

Then, the other data points started flooding in.
On her neck, hidden mostly by hair was what would be referred to as a brand. It was a small tattoo of a crown with initials subtly placed above the three peaks of the crown.

The Ask.

She gave me a coy smile and leaned in as if to tell me a secret, like when kids say “I like you” to each other.

She asked if I could do her a favor.

She would pay me in cash if I could transfer money to someone else’s (admittedly not hers) cash app account.

For the unaware, this is a common form of #moneylaundering .

I politely declined the offer, moved on, and located the closest officer to follow up.

Further Research Required.

Over the next 45 minutes, I observed the woman change locations in the terminal several times, talking to various people. Some helped her with her cash app ‘problem’, other simply ignored her.

The Lesson.

The point is that human trafficking can and often does look very different from what we see on TV.

My statement didn’t involve a child being hauled into a bathroom against their will – i.e. it didn’t match what Hollywood portrays.

Even the Law Enforcement I spoke with needed me to walk them through the steps of the trafficking indicators I had witnessed.

Its not enough to just put posters up in bathrooms without proper education. We need to do better.

Know better. Do better.

To learn more about Human Trafficking, check out my good friend Alisa and the amazing work she does at Cyber Nitewatch.