Romeo traffickers use romance as recruitment

Romeo traffickers lure vulnerable people into sexual exploitation or forced labor by using emotional manipulation, grooming and false promises of love or opportunity. Fraud examiners can strengthen their ability to detect and prevent exploitation by recognizing the tactics used to target and control individuals susceptible to human trafficking.

Fifteen-year-old “Kara” (a pseudonym) vividly recalls the moment everything changed: a fierce argument with her parents in North Carolina. “I had lost count of how many times I stormed out,” she says. This time, she boarded a bus to Atlanta, Georgia, and sat at a shelter, wondering where to stay. A man in his early 30s approached, offering food and a place to sleep. During the next week, he showered her with gifts and attention. “I felt special. I thought it was love,” Kara told Matt Friedman, international trafficking expert and CEO of the Mekong Club, following a speaking event at a nonprofit organization event in Atlanta.