Aerial Recovery recently helped rescue 28 girls in Peru. Nearly all were lured with the same lie: an exciting new job opportunity.
It’s the #1 play in the evil Human Trafficking handbook. It happens every day, not just in far-off corners of Latin America. It happens right here in the United States.
We recently wrote about how to identify the tracking lurking nearby. Today, we’re giving you the tools to spot these traps before someone you love falls into them. These aren't theories; these are the actual tactics we've documented in our operations.
Young people are besieged by so much information, including interesting-sounding job offers. Here are some red flags we see far too often:
"We'll handle all your documents"
"Don't tell your family until you arrive"
"You'll pay us back from your earnings"
"The job details will be explained when you arrive"
Reluctance to provide written contracts
FOMO pressure to leave immediately
Communication only through WhatsApp, Telegram or encrypted methods
We should scrutinize any opportunity that comes to us online, or offline from anyone we don't already know well, but any of these should elicit heavy skepticism.
Verifying Job Opportunities - The Checklist. Before Accepting ANY Travel for a New Job:
□ Google the company with "scam" and/or "trafficking"
□ Verify the business exists at the stated address (Google Street View is a great tool)
□ Request a video call with your future supervisor (traffickers usually refuse)
□ Never pay upfront for a job opportunity
□ Hold onto your passport: legitimate employers never hold documents
□ Share your itinerary with 3 trusted people
□ Set up check-in times with loved ones and if you miss one, they call authorities
□ Research visa requirements independently (traffickers lie about this)
□ Contact the embassy of your destination country to verify the company’s details
□ Have spent the return trip money that only you control
Critical for Parents: Talk to Your Kids
Start with Empowerment, Not Fear
"You're smart, and I want to make sure you know about some tricks bad people use, so you can protect yourself and your friends."
Use Our Real Cases (Age-Appropriately):
"Some girls were rescued in Peru thought they were getting restaurant jobs. They were smart girls - the criminals were just really good liars. Here's what they wished they'd known..."
Make it About Protecting Friends Too:
"If your friend got an amazing job offer to travel, what questions would you want them to ask?"
Focus on Verification, Not Restriction:
It's not "don't take opportunities"
It's "verify every opportunity"
Good opportunities welcome questions
Criminals pressure you not to ask
Role-Play Scenarios:
"Someone online offers you modeling work abroad. What do you verify?"
"A friend is traveling for work and stops responding. What do you do?"
"You're at the mall and see a girl who looks scared with an older man. How do you help?"
Shareable Facts From our Operations: Here's What You Can Share on Social Media
Real Cases:
🚨 28 girls rescued in Peru were lured with fake job offers
🚨 Victims came from Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia seeking legitimate work
🚨 Traffickers used falsified documents to hide victims' ages
🚨 Over 500 officers were needed for safe rescue operations
🚨 Tren de Aragua members were operating behind business fronts
🚨 Girls were controlled through debt bondage and death threats
Share These Warning Signs:
⚠️ Job offers requiring immediate travel
⚠️ Employers who want to hold your documents
⚠️ Work opportunities that seem too good to be true
⚠️ Pressure to not tell family about travel
⚠️ Any "job" requiring upfront payment
Remember, If You Don't Equip Your Kids with Information, Someone Else Will!
