Resources

It’s important to protect yourself when using social media platforms. Here are some basic tips that will help you stay safe:

Always keep your account on private. In today’s world becoming social media famous seems to be something many are striving for. Unfortunately that trend is making it easier for human traffickers to locate and target their victims. Being social media famous isn’t worth risking your life
Never talk to people you don’t know on social media. Many human traffickers use this approach to target a potential victim. They may catfish the target by making a fake profile and once accepted they use this connection to build a relationship and get personal details from their victim
Always make sure your location is turned off on all of your accounts. Many social media apps have this turned on automatically and you have to actually go in and shut it off manually
Never meet someone you’ve been talking to online

Here is a list of links to provide you with more information on the crisis we face:

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Investigative Programs, Crimes Against Children Learn More »

U.S. Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Learn More »

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Campaign to Rescue and Restore Victims of Human Trafficking Learn More »