California Secretary of State Helps Raise Awareness on Human Trafficking Prevention

Image of computer screen showing human trafficking website in effort to raise awareness

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time dedicated to educating the public and raising awareness about human trafficking. To continue this important effort beyond January, the California Secretary of State Business Programs Division has partnered with its Safe at Home program to distribute human trafficking prevention flyers with all business entity paper outputs throughout February.

At Parasec, we are committed to supporting this initiative by sharing the flyer’s contents with our clients to further spread awareness and help prevent human trafficking. See below for more details:

What is Human Trafficking?
Human trafficking is a serious crime involving the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit individuals for labor, services, or commercial sex. Any exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is considered human trafficking—regardless of force, fraud, or coercion.

How You Can Help
✔ Educate yourself about human trafficking and available resources
✔ Increase public awareness by sharing information with others
✔ Recognize the warning signs of human trafficking
✔ Report suspicious activity to law enforcement:
– Call 911 for emergencies
– National Human Trafficking Hotline: Call 1-888-373-7888 or text  233733 (Be Free)

Common Signs of Human Trafficking

  • Signs of physical, psychological, or sexual abuse
  • Physical threats, threats of deportation, or harm to family members
  • Excessive work hours, working while sick, or forced labor to pay off a debt
  • Little to no pay for work performed
  • Isolation, restricted movement, or scripted communication
  • Poor living conditions
  • Lack of personal identification

Important:
If you suspect human trafficking, do not attempt to confront the trafficker or alert the victim. Instead, report it to authorities. For more information, go here.