December 17, 2021
“Follow the money, find the traffickers” is a maxim in the world of human trafficking. It is vital for everyone in the community, not just financial institutions and law enforcement, to understand how human traffickers financially exploit their victims as a form of control and abuse. Traffickers launder proceeds from exploited youth and adults, force victims to open accounts, force youth with clean credit histories to apply for credit cards, entwine victims their money laundering schemes, and evade financial system safeguards. This program will cover: how human trafficking relates to financial exploitation, who is most at risk their vulnerabilities, how traffickers recruit victims, how to report human trafficking and financial exploitation,and long-term impacts. Social services, child welfare professionals, anti-human trafficking advocates, law enforcement,and all those who are contact points for vulnerable populations and people who are trafficked need to know how this abuse and exploitation occur so they can protect them.