What if everything you thought you knew about love and trust was used against you? That’s exactly what happens to vulnerable people caught in the "loverboy method"—a dangerous form of human trafficking where traffickers manipulate love and affection to control and exploit.

The trafficker's playbook is simple: they charm, they flatter, and they create an illusion of a perfect relationship. They offer affection, promises of a better life, and make the victim feel loved and special. For the victim, it feels real—until it doesn’t. By the time the truth is revealed, they’ve already been manipulated into sexual exploitation or forced labor.

This method is insidious because it’s hidden behind a mask of love. Traffickers know how to exploit vulnerabilities, turning feelings of trust and dependence into a trap.

• Between January 2020 and August 2022, 44% of sex trafficking victims were exploited by a family member, while 39% were trafficked by someone they believed to be their romantic partner.¹
• The human trafficking industry generates $236 billion in profit every year. This isn't rare or random, this is the reality.²
• Children represent 38% of detected trafficking victims.³

Traffickers increasingly use social media and online messaging platforms to lure victims. They exploit the anonymity and global reach of the internet to identify, groom, and trap individuals, particularly young people, into trafficking situations.

But there’s hope. With your support, the Atlas Free Network is exposing traffickers' tactics and restoring justice. Together, we can bring light to the darkest corners of this hidden crime.

‍Give a gift today to help protect victims of trafficking and bring justice to traffickers. 

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1.  National Human Trafficking Hotline 2022
2. International Labour Organization 2024
3. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2024 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons