Human Trafficking in Illicit Massage Businesses About Polaris Polaris is a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery. Named after the North Star that guided slaves to freedom in the United States, Polaris systemically disrupts the human trafficking networks that rob human beings of their lives and their freedom. Our comprehensive model puts victims at the center of what we do — helping survivors restore their freedom, preventing more victims, and leveraging data and technology to pursue traffickers wherever they operate. Polaris PO Box 65323 Washington, DC 20035 202-790-6300
[email protected] www.polarisproject.org 2 Table of Contents Letter from Rochelle Keyhan, Director, Disruption Strategies, Polaris 2 Acknowledgements 4 Special Acknowledgments: Service Providers 5 Introduction 7 SECTION 1: UNDERSTANDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN ILLICIT MASSAGE BUSINESSES 9 Overview of Illicit Massage Businesses in the United States 10 Marketing Illicit Massage Businesses to Buyers 14 Recruiting Women Into Illicit Massage Parlor Trafficking 19 Why Don’t They Just Leave? How Traffickers Use Force, Fraud and Coercion to Control Women 27 Illicit Massage Business Operations 35 SECTION 2: ENDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN ILLICIT MASSAGE BUSINESSES 43 A Complex Problem Requires a Multifaceted Solution 44 1. Overhauling Business Regulatory Frameworks 45 2. Unmasking Shell Companies to Reveal Business Owners 64 3. Supporting Effective, Survivor-Centered Law Enforcement 67 4. Closing Loopholes in the Commercial Real Estate Industry 72 5. Ending Online Practices that Legitimize Illicit Massage Businesses 74 6. Shifting the Media Narrative to Increase Public Understanding, Decrease Public Tolerance 77 7. Working Together to Ensure Victims Receive Robust, Culturally-Competent Services 81 Conclusion 85 Methodology 87 Polaris | Human Trafficking in Illicit Massage Businesses Letter from Rochelle Keyhan Director, Disruption Strategies, Polaris Dear Readers, I even had the chance to assess whether they The United Nations might be trafficking estimates that more victims.