What Does Being Taken Advantage of Look Like?

Labor Trafficking in Agriculture

Jose’s Story

“I was working on a farm in my home country when I was offered a job in another country with the promise of better pay and working conditions. I was excited for the opportunity to provide for my family and improve my life. But when I arrived, my passport was taken away and I was forced to work in the fields. I worked long hours in harsh conditions, with no days off and no breaks. I was not paid as promised and was forced to live in a cramped, unsanitary dormitory with little access to food or water. I was threatened and beaten if I tried to leave. I had no idea where I was, and I didn’t know anyone who could help me. I thought I was going to be trapped there forever, until one day, a government official came to the farm to inspect the conditions, and I was finally able to escape and return home safely.”

From City to City

Lily’s Story

“I was taken into foster care at a young age. I missed my family and didn’t understand why I couldn’t live with them anymore. By the time I was a teenager I had lived with so many different families and group homes. And then after school one day, I was approached by a man. He promised me love and a better life, and I believed him. But he only wanted to use me for his own gain.

He convinced me to run away with him and once I was fully dependent on him, he forced me to have sex with other men to make him money. I was moved from city to city, never staying in one place for too long. It felt a lot like living in foster care. I was isolated from the outside world and didn’t know how to get help.”

Not the Job I Wanted

Mary’s Story

When I was undocumented, I was working in a restaurant when I was offered a better job with the promise of higher pay and good working conditions. I was excited for this new opportunity to improve my life and to be able to send more money back home. But when I arrived, my new boss used my undocumented status against me and I was forced to work long hours, with no days off, and no breaks. I was not paid as promised, and was forced to live in a cramped, unsanitary dormitory with little access to food or water. I didn’t know anyone who could help me.

The traffickers controlled every aspect of my life, I was not allowed to have any form of communication and had no money to send home.. I was exhausted and malnourished. The traffickers promised me that if I tried to leave, they would report me to immigration and harm my family. I was too scared to do anything.

The health department came to inspect the restaurant and shut it down. In the chaos I was able to escape. I am now working with immigration lawyers and found a new job but the experience has taken a huge toll on me both physically and emotionally..”

OnlyFans

“I was an aspiring artist, hoping to make a living from my creations. I used all the social media networks, but I wasn’t getting the traction I needed. It seemed like financial struggles started to suffocate my dreams. Then a friend of mine told me about OnlyFans. She told me I could make money sharing some suggestive photos and videos of myself. It made me uncomfortable, but I thought I would just do it for a little while until my creative career took off. Little did I know the dark path it would lead me down.

At first the response to my content was positive, and I began to gain a decent following. But as time passed, the requests I received took a sinister turn. People wanted more explicit content, pushing me far beyond my comfort zone. Desperate to earn money and keep up with the demands, I compromised my principles. I started sharing more revealing photos, catering to the growing demand for explicit content. It was a necessary sacrifice, or so I believed, to maintain some financial stability.”