Trafficking can occur entirely within one community or workplace.
Human Trafficking Awareness | Prevention | Education
Human Trafficking Awareness | Prevention | Education
Human trafficking is the exploitation of a person for labor, services or commercial sex through force, fraud or coercion. In the United States, any commercial sex involving a minor is legally considered trafficking regardless of whether force, fraud or coercion is shown.
If you or someone you know may be experiencing human trafficking, trained advocates are available through the National Human Trafficking Hotline. If there is immediate danger, call 911.
Human trafficking is a crime of exploitation. It occurs when someone uses force, fraud or coercion to compel another person to provide labor or services or engage in commercial sex.
The coercion may be physical, psychological, financial or based on threats, deception, debt, immigration status, isolation or control over basic needs. Traffickers may be strangers, employers, family members, intimate partners, recruiters or members of organized criminal networks.
Under U.S. law, commercial sexual exploitation of a person under 18 is trafficking even when prosecutors do not need to prove force, fraud or coercion. Human trafficking can affect people of any background, and victims may not identify themselves as victims or may be afraid to seek help.
Learn more from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Trafficking can occur entirely within one community or workplace.
Labor trafficking and forced services are also major forms of exploitation.
Threats, debts, fear, dependency and deception can be powerful tools of coercion.
Traffickers exploit vulnerabilities, but anyone can be targeted.
Federal agencies commonly distinguish between sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Some reported situations involve both.
Sex trafficking involves compelling a person to engage in commercial sex through force, fraud or coercion. When the person involved in commercial sex is under 18, force, fraud or coercion does not need to be shown under federal law.
Labor trafficking involves compelling a person to work or provide services through force, threats, fraud, coercion, debt or other forms of control. It can occur in domestic work, construction, agriculture, hospitality, restaurants, factories and many other industries.
No single sign proves that trafficking is occurring. The FBI emphasizes that indicators must be considered in context. A combination of physical, behavioral, work and living-condition indicators may justify concern.
Trafficking situations vary, but exploitation often develops through recruitment, isolation, exploitation and continuing control. Transportation may occur, but movement is not necessary for trafficking.
False jobs, romance, promises of safety, shelter, money or opportunity may be used to build trust.
Contact with family, transportation, identification, finances or communication may be restricted or monitored.
The person is compelled to provide labor, services or commercial sex under abusive or coercive conditions.
Threats, debt, fear, shame, violence, immigration concerns, dependency or psychological coercion may keep the person trapped.
Social media, gaming, messaging and dating platforms can be used by traffickers or other offenders to identify vulnerabilities, build trust, move conversations into private channels, make false job or romantic promises and gradually increase pressure or control.
Parents and caregivers should pay attention to sudden secrecy, unexplained gifts or money, older online contacts, pressure to move conversations off-platform, requests for sexual images, threats involving intimate content and sudden changes in behavior after online interactions.
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, commonly called the TVPA, was the first comprehensive federal law specifically addressing trafficking in persons in the United States.
The law established a three-part framework centered on prevention, protection and prosecution, strengthened federal tools against trafficking, and created protections and assistance pathways for victims and survivors. Congress has reauthorized and amended the framework several times.
Human trafficking and human smuggling are different crimes. Trafficking centers on exploitation and coercion; smuggling generally involves facilitating unlawful border crossing for a fee or other benefit.
| Question | Human Trafficking | Human Smuggling |
|---|---|---|
| Core issue | Exploitation and control of a person. | Facilitating unlawful movement across a border. |
| Movement required? | No. Trafficking can occur without transportation. | Yes. Cross-border movement is central to smuggling. |
| Consent | A person’s apparent initial consent does not eliminate trafficking when exploitation is compelled through force, fraud or coercion. | The smuggled person generally agrees to be transported, though abuse or trafficking may later occur. |
| Can one become the other? | Yes. A smuggling situation can evolve into trafficking if the person is later coerced or exploited. | |
In 2025, the National Human Trafficking Hotline identified 15,085 trafficking cases involving 21,457 victims through reports received by the Hotline.
Important: Hotline statistics are based on situations reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The Hotline explicitly cautions that these figures do not measure the prevalence of trafficking in the United States or in any particular community. View the national statistics and methodology.
“Pig butchering” commonly refers to long-term investment or romance fraud in which scammers cultivate trust before pushing a victim toward fraudulent investments. A separate human-trafficking dimension has emerged in parts of Southeast Asia, where some people working in scam compounds have themselves been recruited under false job promises, confined and forced to conduct online fraud.
That means there can be two distinct groups of victims: people financially defrauded online and workers subjected to forced labor inside criminal scam operations.
Human trafficking occurs in every state, including Nevada. In 2025, the National Human Trafficking Hotline identified 241 Nevada cases involving 349 victims through reports made to the Hotline.
These are Hotline reporting figures, not an estimate of every trafficking situation in Nevada. See Nevada’s current Hotline statistics.
New Hope Foundation International approaches human trafficking prevention through education, community outreach, collaboration and practical support that can help people stay connected to legitimate resources and opportunities.
Human Trafficking Prevention Club at UNLV and broader prevention education.
Community education and engagement with anti-trafficking professionals.
Giving Friday outreach and practical support for people experiencing homelessness and hardship.
Free community internet access that can help people reach jobs, housing, education and support resources.
These Las Vegas News reports add local context about trafficking survivors, vulnerable youth, outreach and community infrastructure in Southern Nevada.
Las Vegas News examines NHFI’s prevention, outreach and support work with vulnerable people in Southern Nevada.
Read on Las Vegas News →Local leaders discuss decriminalization, trauma-informed care and a proposed receiving center for trafficked children.
Read on Las Vegas News →Local outreach efforts connect homeless and at-risk youth with shelter, food, healthcare and housing support.
Read on Las Vegas News →Coverage of free public internet infrastructure connected to NHFI’s broader effort to reduce barriers and vulnerability.
Read on Las Vegas News →Disclosure: NHFI participates in the Las Vegas News Partner program. Qualifying attributed readership from certain NHFI links may generate partner earnings for NHFI. Readers should follow external links because the reporting is relevant or useful, not for the purpose of generating advertising activity.
NHFI uses education, outreach and practical community initiatives to reduce vulnerability and help people connect with safer resources and opportunities.
No. Human trafficking is defined by exploitation and coercion, not by movement. A trafficking situation can occur entirely within one city, one state, a workplace or a home.
The two primary federal categories are sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Some situations involve both forms of exploitation.
Possible indicators include fear or submissiveness, scripted answers, lack of control over identification or money, excessive work, debt used as control, monitored movement, poor living conditions and a person being unable to freely leave. No single indicator proves trafficking.
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 is the first comprehensive U.S. federal law addressing trafficking in persons. It established the prevention, protection and prosecution framework and has been reauthorized several times.
Human trafficking centers on exploitation and coercion and does not require movement. Human smuggling generally centers on facilitating unlawful border crossing. A smuggling situation can later become trafficking if exploitation or coercion occurs.
If there is immediate danger, call 911. The National Human Trafficking Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-888-373-7888 or by text at 233733. The Hotline also accepts online reports.
This page provides general educational information and is not legal, medical or emergency-response advice. If you believe someone is in immediate danger, contact emergency services.