Everyone's On Facebook, Even Human Traffickers

Facebook is growing -- not only as the most popular social networking site, but as one of the most popular websites on the Internet today. Everyone I know is one Facebook, from my 54-year-old dad to my 11-year-old cousin. There are entire humor sites devoted to the sheer masses of families on Facebook. So how is it possible that the social media tool used by everyone from Barack Obama to my ex-college roommate's dog is also used by human traffickers to lure young girls into slavery? And how do traffickers use Facebook to exploit?

A recent story out of Canada illustrates the power Facebook has as a tool for traffickers. Codie Toby Cardinal, 38, set up a profile for himself on a number of social networking sites, including Facebook, posing as a modeling agent. Through the sites, he befriended young girls from mostly rural areas in Canada and convinced them to come to Calgary for modeling gigs. However, once the girls arrived in Calgary, Cardinal forced them into prostitution and advertised them on another website. At least four girls were victims of this particular Facebook bait-and-switch, all of them between the ages of 16 and 20.

One of the reasons traffickers like Facebook is because it allows them to create a fictional back story tailored to the victims they are trying to exploit. Looking for lonely, angsty teens who have taken solace in music? Set yourself up as a concert promoter with free tickets to hot bands (true story). Need young girls with low self-esteem? Approach them as a boyfriend and earn their trust before pushing them into prostitution for profit. Facebook is effective for traffickers because teens who would never engage with strangers on the street or in a mall might do so on Facebook because it feels safe. The interface is familiar, and the ability to view someone's profile gives the impression that you're able to check up on them. But remember: it's pretty easy to lie on a Facebook profile. Hasn't everyone set their status update to "gym" when in reality it should be "tv and cookies?"

If you don't believe anyone can fall for fraud on Facebook, believe it. It happened to me a few years ago, despite the fact that I work with a lot of these issues for a living. I got a Facebook message one night from a guy who identified himself as "Jay" and said he had met me at a friend's party the previous week. It so happened my friend Tim had recently had a birthday party and I'd met a lot of people there. One of them must be named Jay, right? So I asked him to confirm he was Tim's friend, and he did. We chatted for awhile about nothing in particular and I felt safe, because he had indicated he was a friend of a friend. In the course of the conversation, I mentioned a male friend who had come to this party with me, and Jay asked if we were dating. Now this friend is obviously, openly, and vocally gay -- anyone thinking he was dating a woman upon meeting him would have to be pretty naive. A red flag went up, and I began pressing Jay about his relationship with Tim. Finally, he admitted that he didn't know Tim and had lied to me so I would talk to him. I said goodbye and blocked him from my account. His lie probably would have worked on any number of women who had been to a party in the last couple weeks. It was vague and he let me supply the details of when and where. It was a perfect deception.

Was Jay just a harmless, lonely guy looking for someone to chat with? Probably. But there are people on Facebook much more nefarious -- people like Codie Cardinal who use it to lure and traffic girls. Like all tools, Facebook can be used for good or bad, legal or illegal purposes. But your best defense is to be aware and careful about how you use it and what kind of information you reveal about yourself. And if you're the parent of a teen, learn how to use Facebook and how to check your teen's profile. Because nowadays, everyone is on Facebook.

Photo credit: Max-B