Watch Out for the 5 Types of Traffickers

by Joyce McCauley-Benner

Guerrilla Style

Uses threats, force, and coercion with victims. Victims are kidnapped or trapped quickly, and their lives or the lives of their loved ones are threatened. The victim is pressured into work quickly and physically forced into submission; she may be drugged. If the victim is rescued, it is easier to break her from the trafficker as the relationship was fear-based.

Finesse Style

Victims are psychologically manipulated, lured with promises of “love,” protection, or meeting basic needs. The trafficker builds a relationship over time, first offering resources and support, then starts to demand repayment in the form of “working” for him. Rescue is harder in these cases as the trafficker has established trust with the victim and taught the victim not to trust law enforcement or others in the “system” (social workers, medical professionals, legal aid, etc). Victims often have a prior history of abuse and/or little support system.

The Wannabe

Sometimes a single trafficker, not connected to a ring, will try to recruit one or two victims he tries to manage on his own. Often, drugs are involved, and the money made from sex trafficking fuels the drug selling or using.

Gang-Related

Powerful gangs can be involved in drug, weapons, and sex trafficking. These most often rule by force and violence. They threaten the lives of loved ones to ensure complicity.

Buyer-Perpetrated Trafficking

The buyer is directly exploiting a single victim by offering money, food, and/or shelter, in exchange for sexual exploitation.