Are you or someone you know being trafficked?
We’re here to help. Find resources, know your rights, and report abuse. This is for anyone in the greater Los Angeles County region.
Reporting Agencies
Need help? If this is an emergency, please call 911. For non-emergency crime reporting, follow the links below to connect with the appropriate law enforcement agency in your area. We’ve also included consulate contact information for those visiting from outside the country.
If there is imminent danger, violence, or a child involved in any capacity, call 911.
If you witnessed a crime (Human Trafficking or other) with documented info, call LA Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
If you’re unsure if what you’ve witnessed is Human Trafficking, consult with a professional at the National HT Hotline.
Are you visiting Los Angeles from another country? Find your consulate.
Local Resources
Crisis Hotlines & Advocacy Services
Saving Innocence – (888) 616-4325
Forgotten Children Inc. – (800) 793-2213
Zoe International – 888-ZOE-CHIL(D) (963-2445)
Center for Pacific Asian Families (multi-lingual) (800) 339-3940
Interface Children & Family Services (Ventura County) (800) 636-6738
Wayfinders (Orange County)
Mental Health
Education, Training, and Prevention
Child & Family Policy Institute of California- Preventing and Addressing Child Trafficking
What is Human Trafficking?
Human trafficking is the theft of a person's freedom for profit. It happens when someone uses force, fraud, or coercion to make you work, provide services, or engage in commercial sex acts against your will.
- Force: Physical abuse, confinement, or violent threats.
- Fraud: False promises of a good job, romantic relationship, stable housing, or a better life.
- Coercion: Psychological pressure, threats to hurt your family, withholding your ID/documents, or using debt to trap you.
Important Note for Youth
If you are under the age of 18 and someone is selling you for sex (in exchange for money, shelter, food, drugs, or basic needs), this is legally human trafficking. Under the law, force, fraud, or coercion do not need to be proven for minors. You do not have to give legal consent, and you are entitled to full rights and protection.
Could this be happening to me?
Many people experiencing trafficking do not use the term "trafficking" to describe what they are going through. Instead, it feels like an unsafe, overwhelming, or impossible situation. Read through the experiences below. If any of these sound like your life, you are not alone, and help is available.
Your Work or Living Situation
- Does someone else take all or most of the money you earn?
- Do you feel like you owe someone a debt that you can never seem to pay off?
- Are you forced to work long hours with little to no rest, or under unsafe conditions?
- Is someone keeping your ID, passport, phone, or birth certificate away from you?
Your Relationships & Freedom
- Does someone monitor your calls, texts, or location at all times?
- Does a partner or boss threaten to call immigration, the police, or child protective services if you don't do what they say?
- Have you been cut off from your family, friends, or community?
- Are you staying with someone because they threaten to harm you, harm a family member, or make you homeless if you don't perform sexual acts or work for them?
How You Might Be Feeling
- Isolated: Feeling deeply lonely, or like you are trapped in a new place where you don't know who to trust.
- Trapped & Dependent: Feeling like you cannot survive without the person who is harming you because they control your food, shelter, or basic needs.
- Anxious or On Edge: Experiencing constant fear, nightmares, or sudden flashbacks, and finding it hard to trust anyone.
- Blamed or Ashamed: Feeling guilty for what is happening, even though none of it is your fault.
Your Rights
If you recognize yourself in these signs, please know that you have rights, regardless of your background or immigration status.
Victims Bill of Rights
Victims' Bill of Rights Act of 2008: Marsy's Law
Know Your Rights (Labor)
aborcenter.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Know-Your-Rights-2024-25.pdf
You Have the Right To:
- Receive emergency shelter, food, medical care, and legal assistance.
- Seek help and services regardless of your immigration status (you do not need to be a U.S. citizen to get help, and you may qualify for specific immigration protections like a T-Visa).
- Decide if, when, and how you want to talk to law enforcement. You can get help from a victim advocate without speaking to the police.
- Have your identity and privacy protected.