Think you know what a human trafficker looks like? Guess again.

Human trafficking happens in Western Massachusetts. That is the number one message Amber Estelle, deputy COO and clinical director of the YWCA of Western Massachusetts, wants to share.

Estelle has personally worked with about 50 victims of trafficking through a program she ran for the YWCA. To her knowledge none of the people were trafficked by the same person or group.

The program was shuttered due to funding issues, but Estelle said the YWCA sees trafficking victims show up in their shelter program.

In 2024, the latest year for which there is data, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received 288 signals from Massachusetts, 91 of which were from victims or survivors of trafficking. While 68% of victims are trafficked for sex, people can also be trafficked for labor or a combination of the two. About 85% of trafficking victims are women, but men are also trafficked.

Estelle explained that traffickers are drawn to locations where people have disposable income. Such locations include high-stakes sporting events, or as Estelle specifically noted, the MGM Springfield casino. She said Interstate 91 offers a corridor for travel between states without checkpoints, as does the passenger rail service through Springfield’s Union Station. These transportation methods make it easier to traffic people without fear of being caught, she said.

Estelle emphasized that not all sex workers choose to participate in that lifestyle. People who are being trafficked are often threatened and sometimes threatened with violence towards their child or other loved ones. Victims may be hesitant to leave because they think they are in love with their exploiter or they are trauma-bonded to other victims.

As part of the program she used to run at the YWCA, Estelle said she separated victims from the geographical area they were trafficked in. This lessened the likelihood of the victim being manipulated into going back to the situation. Estelle also said stable income is important because financial strain can be a powerful tool for manipulation.

When Estelle asks young people what a human trafficker looks like, she said the answers are usually the same. They assume traffickers look like “thugs” or “drug dealers,” someone who dresses “flashy” and drives an expensive car, Estelle said. However, the truth is that most victims of trafficking at exploited by someone they know.

Many times, traffickers will approach people online, pretending they are the same age and gender. After establishing a rapport and gaining someone’s trust, they will start asking personal questions and eventually get the victim to agree to meet them somewhere.

Traffickers also use other victims to befriend and recruit people, telling them they can make quick money and that “it’s not that bad,” Estelle said. The YWCA evicted a woman from their shelter because she was recruiting other women on behalf of a trafficker. Occasionally, parents with a substance use disorder will sell their children to traffickers to fund their addiction.

“There’s no one person, no one race or gender. It could be a sweet, little, old lady baking cookies, but she could be a madam,” Estelle said.
Estelle said there are “red flags” to be aware of:

• If they ask a lot of questions or ask personal questions about where someone lives, works, or their home life
• If they encourage someone to do something out of their comfort zone
• If they are a love bomber — someone who manipulates another person early in a relationship with over-the-top compliments, lavish gifts or grand gestures. They may want constant attention, pressure someone to move quickly, ignore boundaries or have sudden mood changes, including anger and withdrawal.

Another common tactic is approaching an intended target with talk of being a modeling scout or photographer and trying to get the person to model for them. Estelle said this happened to her on a train in California once. She did not go with the person but was later told by a woman at the station to avoid the man because he took her somewhere where she was assaulted. If you cannot easily find information online about the person of alleged business, do not trust them, Estelle said.

If someone is approached by a person who says they are being trafficked, Estelle said safety should be the number one priority. Call 911 and get as much information about the person as possible in case they run away. Do not bring the person to your home, she said. Traffickers will sometimes use this tactic to follow a target home. If you must drive them somewhere, go straight to a police station, she said.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline can be contacted by calling 888-373-7888, TTY: 711, texting “BEFREE” 233733, emailing help@humantraffickinghotline.org, or using the web chat or online reporting through its website, humantraffickinghotline.org.