Human Trafficking Fact Check

There are many social media stories about human trafficking that are not true, or are not backed up with sufficient evidence. These stories are extraordinary, which means they require extraordinary evidence. Let us know if we need to update anything.

Fact check: False claim tainted ice cream used to disorient human trafficking targets
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Fact check: False claim tainted ice cream used to disorient human trafficking targets

Editor’s note: for a collection of other “Human Trafficking Fact Checks,” click here. The claim: Tainted ice cream is being used to disorient targets of human traffickers A social media post claims human traffickers have an unusual way to disorient potential victims: placing tainted ice cream on parts of a car to get a target to touch…

Advocates shut down social media rumors about human trafficking
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Advocates shut down social media rumors about human trafficking

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — There are new posts making the rounds on social media in New Mexico and beyond about a potential tactic human traffickers are using to target their next victim. Posters say they find zip ties on their cars when they come out of stores, and think it’s a sign they will be targeted….

China Grove Police: Zip tied shopping cart in parking lot not related to human trafficking
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China Grove Police: Zip tied shopping cart in parking lot not related to human trafficking

CHINA GROVE, N.C. (WBTV) – A widely shared social media post claiming that a shopping cart found zip-tied to a car in a grocery store parking lot in China Grove was related to human trafficking or kidnapping is now being debunked by police. According to a press release from China Grove Police, on Friday, October…

Grand Island Trafficking Coalition relaunches amid rising digital misinformation
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Grand Island Trafficking Coalition relaunches amid rising digital misinformation

Brandon Summers   Grand Island Area Coalition on Trafficking is being relaunched. A luncheon for GIACT members held at CHI Health St. Francis Wednesday brought together representatives from multiple local agencies, including Hall County Attorney’s Office, Grand Island YWCA, Willow Rising, Heartland United Way and more. GIACT’s mission is to coordinate efforts as community partners,…

Warning message on ‘organ-trafficking gangs’ is fake, Malaysian police say
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Warning message on ‘organ-trafficking gangs’ is fake, Malaysian police say

Social media posts claiming to spread an “urgent notice” from the Malaysian Home Ministry and the police about organ-trafficking gangs that use street children to lure victims have circulated widely in the country. The claim has been shared hundreds of times on Facebook. However, the claim is false. The Malaysian police, a division under the…

Most trafficked children are victims of family members – The Dispatch
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Most trafficked children are victims of family members – The Dispatch

Human trafficking doesn’t look like what you think it does based on social media, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking Coordinator Ashlee Lucas told the Exchange Club Thursday afternoon. Ashlee Lucas “It is very important that you not spread the misinformation that is so prevalent on social media,” she said. “They’re saying there are zip…

The Problem of Statistics in Human Trafficking and the Average Age of Entry into Sex Trafficking
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The Problem of Statistics in Human Trafficking and the Average Age of Entry into Sex Trafficking

Editor’s note: Our Human Trafficking Essentials course promotes the average age of entry into sex trafficking as 17, based upon the below research. The below makes clear there are no studies that demonstrate that age in a truly measurable manner. Our materials make clear that the statistics in the human trafficking field are difficult to…

Fact Check: NO Evidence That 'Marco, Polo' Game Is Used For Sex Trafficking In Stores
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Fact Check: NO Evidence That 'Marco, Polo' Game Is Used For Sex Trafficking In Stores

STORY UPDATED: check for updates below. No Evidence Has the call-and-response game “Marco, Polo” proven to be a tactic to initiate sex trafficking in stores? No, that’s not true: Spokespeople from human trafficking advocacy and awareness organizations told us that there are no confirmed reports of such a scheme being used for human trafficking. The…

Unsubstantiated claim of fentanyl-rose trafficking scheme spreads online – AP News
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Unsubstantiated claim of fentanyl-rose trafficking scheme spreads online – AP News

CLAIM: It has been confirmed that roses laced with fentanyl are being used as a sex trafficking ploy in Clinton, Mississippi. AP’S ASSESSMENT: Missing context. While one person did make that claim online and in a call to the local police department, Clinton’s city attorney said the department was not able to substantiate the account….