I signed up for a job that was described as a sales opportunity
working outside, excellent pay, travel, and fun with other young people, plus a $500 signing bonus. It sounded great to me; my parents kicked me out when I told them I was gay. I needed a job. I needed a family.
A trafficker will target and exploit people in vulnerable situations.
I lived with the sales crew on the road, in motels and rentals. At first, it was a good time. We’d get drunk or high after selling, every day we’d party. Things changed fast though. We had rituals and games to get us psyched up for 12-hour, 90-degree days knocking on doors. Whoever sold the least, was beaten down by the group that night (no face punches, because we still had to sell the next day). They acted like it was just part of the party lifestyle.
Being physically harmed is force, even if it’s disguised as just part of the work culture.
The crew leaders took any money we made, saying we owed for gas, food and rooms. There was no signing bonus. They even took our phones. It was like a cult. We were always being watched.
This is coercion because the traffickers are creating a situation where the victims cannot leave.
Brian was promised excellent pay and signing bonus and never got either. This is fraud.
Being constantly monitored is a form of coercion to keep someone in a bad situation.
When I didn’t meet my sales quota I was the last to eat, or had to sleep on the floor, or had to pay for all the gas that day, or had to stay in the van so I couldn’t sell, putting me more in the hole.
This is also coercion, keeping Brian indebted to them is part of the trafficker’s scheme.
I didn’t have a sales permit, and was cited for solicitation. My crew leader wouldn’t let me show up for court. Now there’s a warrant out for my arrest.
This is another form of coercion, keeping Brian even more dependent on his traffickers and unable to reach out to law enforcement.
My crew left me on the side of the road when I broke my ankle, running for the van. I have nowhere to go.
This is especially painful for Brian who was already abandoned by his family and now is experiencing the trauma again. It demonstrates how traffickers will use personal information against someone.