Human trafficking that starts with online gaming offers a dark connection between virtual platforms and real-world exploitation. 

With these platforms hosting a sizeable underage population and guaranteeing anonymity, traffickers can lure vulnerable youth into deceitful relationships. These traffickers exploit the young age of many gamers, using online platforms as an anonymous line of communication where victims can be coerced into different kinds of exploitation, including labor and sex trafficking. 

The captivating, immersive hobby of gaming can make it difficult to notice signs of danger or to know when to seek help — which makes people more accessible to traffickers. Strangers on the other side of users’ headsets can easily be referred to as friends, but their motives could be harmful.

How Trafficking Through Games Happens

The history of online gaming is a story marked by innovation, creativity, and technological advancement. The first video games included Pac-Man, Pong, Space Invaders, and other arcade-style games that could be enjoyed with friends at a physical arcade. This differs from how the current industry functions because modern gaming systems no longer require physical, in-person interaction between those playing the game. Nevertheless, interaction among game users is at an all-time high.

The explosion of internet-connected gaming has been fueled by the inclusion of messaging tools and live-streaming within games themselves. In this way, games, which primarily serve as a social bonding activity for friends, have evolved into mediums allowing for exploitation. The transition of video games from physical arcades to computers, phones, or TVs at home creates a new level of vulnerability for participants. Common platforms like Discord, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Roblox can easily give predators access to others (including children) from the privacy and anonymity of a screen.

Human trafficking is commonly stereotyped as someone being kidnapped and forced into either sex or labor trafficking. However, we know this to be far from the truth. Data shows that trafficking victims are generally recruited by someone they know, such as a family member or caregiver (33%), an intimate partner (28%), or an employer (22%). Worldwide, the internet remained the top reported recruitment location, according to the Polaris Project. 50 million people are currently estimated to be victims of modern-day slavery.

Exploitation on Discord

Many gamers communicate with other users through headsets on platforms such as Discord — most of the time with people they don’t know in real life. 

Discord is an online platform where users can communicate through chat, voice, or video. Discord is one of the most popular apps for young online users today. It has also faced a fair amount of controversy in the past few years due to the ways its format has enabled predators to abuse and exploit minors.

One of the most notorious examples of exploitation on Discord is the group 746, started by 16-year-old Bradley Cadenhead. He gained a following online after naming himself the leader of a self-described sadistic cult. As the number of followers grew, so did their violence. 

In one of many cases demonstrating their actions, an online profile run by 746 persuaded a 14-year-old girl into sending explicit photos, which were then used to blackmail her into performing degrading acts. The anonymous user threatened to expose the photos she sent (a crime known as sextortion). Disturbingly, she was asked to carve names into her thighs, drink from a toilet bowl, decapitate a hamster, and eventually told to kill herself on camera. Luckily, the girl’s mother stepped in, and the girl survived. 

This story is not the first and won’t be the last. A platform meant for anonymously showing off gaming accomplishments and chatting with friends is actively being used to coerce and exploit minors.

Trafficking in Virtual Reality

Another medium of online gaming is virtual/augmented reality (VR and AR, respectively). Since this concept is much newer, the long-term effects and potential links to trafficking are still developing. But, exploitation is already being documented in this technology.

In recent news, a 16-year-old in the UK filed a lawsuit stating she was virtually raped while participating in the metaverse. While this concept sparks debate between online users, as some said she could “just take off the headset,” the actions of the men on the other end of this experience should not go unaddressed. Their intentions have chilling implications.

Companies market virtual reality as a positive platform, but the outcomes of creating realistic simulated experiences can lead to emotional harm that hasn’t been considered before. Just because there is a lack of physical injury doesn’t mean there aren’t psychological wounds. A young mind can have difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is simulation, and regardless, our nervous systems respond the same way. In these situations, the events can feel as real as if they were really happening, leaving genuine trauma behind.

Vulnerabilities to Trafficking In Online Games

The anonymity and physical distance between players made possible by online gaming can prompt a person to let their guard down and risk exposing information that traffickers can use against them. Sharing too many personal details about home life or financial struggles can put you at risk. 

If a gamer openly admits to having an unstable family, a trafficker can use this information to convince the individual to leave home with a promise of a better life. Admitting to financial troubles can be dangerous because a trafficker could then offer up money, stability, or even a job, knowing a potential victim may be vulnerable to this type of manipulation tactic because of their need. 

A false sense of online security is especially common in younger age groups. Many believe they cannot be harmed from behind a screen. Sadly, that is far from the truth.

The Exodus Road has seen firsthand how prevalent online exploitation is. 72.5% of The Exodus Road’s 2023 cases involved face-to-face recruitment, while 27.5% came from recruitment that happened online. 61% of 2023 cases involved social media at some stage of the case. It’s important to remember that even if you feel safe, you should always be wary of people’s motives.

Traffickers can also pretend to be younger than they are, using these gaming platforms to convince kids of their false identity and encouraging them to meet in person. If minors are under the assumption that they are meeting someone their age, they may not know the risk they are taking.

Real Stories Highlighting Online Gaming and Trafficking

While detailed information can be difficult to pin down due to the lack of reliable data on this secretive issue, below are just a few of many stories on the relationship between online gaming and human trafficking 

Seven adults were arrested in St. Petersburg in 2019 after holding two underage male survivors captive. These traffickers used popular online gaming platforms such as Fortnite, Minecraft, and Discord to manipulate these boys into meeting in person, promising them a “better life.” Authorities stated there could have been as many as 20 additional victims. 

Noah (alias to protect survivor identity) formed a connection with someone he believed to be a friend while playing online video games. After creating this relationship, Noah willingly met up with this individual, not knowing his intentions. The survivor was found within 24 hours due to a quick response by law enforcement. Time is critical. It does not take long for someone to be lost in the world of human trafficking.

11-year-old Brooke Storey spent her free time playing a game called Roadblocks. Storey’s mother started to notice strange, secretive behavior from her daughter, and after investigating, she found several messages from adult men complimenting Brooke and pushing her to meet them. Storey was also being contacted on X-box with messages of a similar nature. The messages both complimented Storey and degraded her, which is a well-known sign of grooming that can go unrecognized by children of such a young age. The quick actions of Storey’s mother may have saved her from ending up in exploitation or even human trafficking, as Storey was so young she was not aware of the ill intentions behind this complimentary but degrading communication. 

A 13-year-old Texas girl went missing in 2023. The only insight into her disappearance was messages between her and her trafficker over online video games. She was transported over 1,000 miles from Texas to North Carolina and held in a shed until she was recovered by law enforcement.

Know The Red Flags of Trafficking Online

Instead of urging kids to stop using gaming platforms that can allow them to make healthy social connections and serve as a hobby in their spare time, we can make sure they know how to be safe when using them. Below is a list of signs to look out for when online gaming. 

1.  Traffickers look for personal information.

In online gaming, there should be no reason for someone to know your full name, where you live, or any other information that seems overly personal. If you feel uncomfortable with the questions you are being asked, trust your gut: cut contact with this individual. 

2.  Traffickers ask a lot of questions.

Where do you go to school? What’s your dog’s name? Are your parents cool? These questions may seem innocent at first, but the more someone asks, the more likely they are to have bad intentions. If someone appears to be trying too hard to get to know you, this can be a sign that they are not who they say they are. This can happen over time, so stay vigilant. 

3.  Traffickers try to make you feel special.

Online gaming is a place where people experience deep social connections to someone they have never met through their shared interest in video games and long hours spent online together. You might notice a new friend repeatedly stressing the significant role you have in their life, putting you on a pedestal of importance. While this could be a way to connect socially, the other person may have ulterior motives. While feeling special is not a bad thing, be aware that it can be used for manipulation.

4.  Traffickers want to see you in a vulnerable state.

This can consist of questions or comments such as: 

     “What’s wrong?”

     “You can talk to me.”

     “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

     “I understand you better than anyone else.”

These statements and questions may appear to be supportive, but when you are communicating with an anonymous person who may not be who they say they are, it is best not to reveal any serious form of struggle. These details can be used to exploit you in times of need or distress. 

5.  Traffickers make uncomfortable comments.

Traffickers may make comments of a sexual nature or talk about you in an uncomfortably sexualized way. These comments can be made in a non-threatening manner, but anything sexual coming from a stranger should raise an immediate red flag — especially when directed toward a minor. 

6.  Traffickers pressure you to meet in person.

Meeting someone you only know from online platforms can be extremely risky. Never meet a person you’ve only talked to online alone, or without first telling others what you are doing.

If you do plan to meet up, it’s important to remember that if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Make a plan ahead of time for how you will leave a potentially dangerous situation, who you will tell, and how you will report dangerous interactions to authorities if necessary. Consider using an app like bSafe or Parry.

Parents: What Can You Do About Trafficking Through Online Games?

If you are a parent, the fight against online exploitation is a personal one. In a technological world where online platforms are constantly changing, it can be hard to keep up with how you can keep your child safe. 

Some suggestions to encourage digital safety:

• Learn more about the video games your child is playing. What is the rating? Is it single- or multi-player? Is this game intended for adults, kids, or both? Does the game offer a private messaging feature?
• Check out what parental control options the game or gaming console offers. These can range from mature language filters and chat blockers to time limitations. Although these filters aren’t foolproof, they can be a great place to start. 
• Gently and appropriately explain to your child why it’s important not to give out any information to anyone, whether they know them or not. Encourage them constantly to keep chat conversations centered exclusively on the game.
• Teach your child to block and report inappropriate users. This will help them protect themselves from online predators. 
• Make a no-headsets rule. This keeps in-game conversations between teammates open for parents to hear. 
• Play video games with your child. Not only can this turn screen time into family time, but it can also be a great way to protect your child while doing one of their favorite activities. This will create solidarity demonstrating that you’re on the same team.
• Keep the conversation ongoing! The more you show interest in their gaming life, the more comfortable kids will be talking to you if something goes awry. 

If you’d like to learn more about online safety, especially for teenagers and young adults, consider bringing our Influenced training to your community. You can also follow Influenced on Instagram and TikTok for weekly digital safety content.