Human trafficking generates an estimated $150 billion in illicit profits annually. Sex trafficking is one form of human trafficking and, in the U.S., law enforcement investigators often uncover this offense practiced via illicit massage parlors. A recent study by Polaris, a non-governmental organization dedicated to eradicating human trafficking, estimates that more than 9,000 illicit massage parlors operate in the U.S.
Investigators face a tough challenge in identifying these parlors from among the thousands of legitimate massage parlors for several reasons:
- It is difficult to obtain witness statements from the victims (who are often moved between locations every few weeks).
- Opaque corporate structures make it easier to obscure company ownership and control. (The U.S. is one of the easiest countries in the world in which to hide who actually owns and benefits from a business.)
- Significant time is needed to sift through websites and corporate registries.
Public records can help tackle this challenge, as they reveal two practices indicative of efforts likely intended to conceal the central individuals behind these parlors, obfuscate the illicit nature of their business, and make it harder for law enforcement to investigate. Our recent report, Massage Parlors and Human Trafficking: Identifying Red Flags Through Corporate Records, illustrates how to use these two indicators to uncover potential human trafficking within a South Florida massage parlor.
Identifying high legal entity turnover
One indicator of possible human trafficking through massage parlors is when multiple legal entities are registered and dissolved at the same address in succession.
In the case of the Florida massage parlor, there was the closing and opening of a series of legal entities at the same location over several years. Each is registered to the same Florida address, often at overlapping times.
An address search for the Florida spa in Sayari Graph reveals five companies registered to the same location.
Our report documents a deeper look into corporate records and the use of Google Street View to determine whether multiple massage parlors could be operating in this one location simultaneously.
Identifying high related party turnover
Another indicator of possible human trafficking is when a legal entity’s key personnel change frequently. In the case of the Florida massage parlor, the director listed on the incorporation paperwork was also named as the registered agent of another entity previously registered to the same address under a different name.
Uncovering related parties of suspected illicit massage parlors could also point law
enforcement to other potential sex trafficking networks. Our investigation into the network of parties related to the Florida massage parlor uncovered individuals potentially connected to other massage parlors worth exploring.
Combining public records and social media intelligence
Corporate records provide official, authoritative, and publicly available documentation of company’s decision makers, financial information, and sometimes even property and land records. Beyond corporate records, social media intelligence can further augment law enforcement efforts and help investigators develop a fuller picture of the target business. In the case of the Florida spa, an atypical internet presence delivered additional facts supporting a potential case for further investigation.
Purpose-built by investigative professionals, Sayari Graph surfaces the right kind of information — such as shared addresses and key personnel — far more quickly than a record-by-record review would allow. As a result, investigators benefit from more efficient and effective investigations.
Read Sayari’s report for complete details on public record and social media intelligence techniques investigators can use to combat human trafficking.
