Human Trafficking suspected

Becky41
Level 3
Springfield, OR

Human Trafficking suspected

I have put some things together since my guests left this morning, and I suspect that the teen girl with the three sketchy men may be being trafficked.  I feel terrible.  What can I do?  Maybe there is a tip line or something.  But one aspect Airbnb should have taken action on is that my reserving guest’s photo was only of his tattoo.  Aren’t they supposed to upload their actual recognizable self?

18 Replies 18
Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

@Becky41 , the national human trafficking hotline in the U.S. is 1-888-373-7888. Give them a call.

 

Becky41
Level 3
Springfield, OR

Thank you; that’s one I haven’t called.  There is a girl missing in CA who closely matches the description of the girl here.  I am to be contacted by a detective soon.  It’s almost too horrible to contemplate.  Everyone should be aware that this can happen under your nose.  And take action far sooner than I did.

Hi Becky41,

 

I am currently conversing with police regarding a similar situation.  A woman showed up not matching her profile and her nephew became her son.  I always insist that guests have a clear selfie and that their companions have verified Airbnb profiles and/or a photo of their government ID attached to the message thread. Unscrupulous people will try to intimidate, deflect, nd evade logic.  Be assertive and don’t be intimidated into complacency.

I hadn’t thought of requiring to see other guest’s Airbnb ID; thanks for the tip.  I have become more assertive, but not that assertive!  Also, I use Instant Book most of the time.  I live in a fairly  rural area, and it does seem to help me get bookings.  But I will take your advice seriously.

 

San Diego, I understand, is a trafficking hotbed.  My attractive young daughter in law was vacationing there recently.  She was “roofed” in a bar, ( someone drugged her drink when she was on the dance floor).  When she went to the bathroom,  she was attacked in the hallway.  Thankfully, her self defense training automatically kicked in, or she may have become a victim.   Very frightening.

@Becky41   Glad you reported it. I have cameras on my property and I find it very helpful should I run into any similiar situation.. Then you have that person(s) on camera along with the vehicle they are driving (depending on where your cameras are).  

Brittani7
Level 4
Florida, US

I'm glad you took action!  I hope this gets resolved.

The investigator was able to contact the three men and determine that the girl with them was  in fact a daughter of one of them.  As he said, “They were probably up to no good, but this is unfortunately not the girl I am looking for.”    Then he spoke with my guest again (who I discovered has a criminal record), to assure him that any more contact with me would not be a good idea. Airbnb got back to me several weeks after I had made several calls to them.  

 

IDK what happens to his profile.  Flagged? Permanently deleted?  But that would not prevent his companions from booking and him being right there.

 

The missing girl’s name is Karlie Guse.  She is from CA, 16.  Her case and information are well known and can be Googled.

Linda-And-Greg0
Level 3
Castro Valley, CA

We had a similar situation and now have tightened up our house rules to me it very clear we check everyone and do not accept third-party reservations.  

Note for anyone who is reading this. NEVER accept third-party reservations as you will not be covered by Airbnb's insurance or Host Guarantee for any damage if Airbnb finds out that it was a third-party booking. It's not worth it. Never!

Becky41
Level 3
Springfield, OR

I have implemented similar.

It turned out, despite the really strange behavior of the entire group, and the strong resemblance of the teen girl to a known missing teen, this girl was the daughter of one of the three men.  The investigator on the case did say that “They were probably up to no good.”  It was both disappointing and a relief.

 

I read that Marriot is training employees to recognize trafficking.  I would like to see Airbnb be brave enough to post specific tips.  

always go with your gut if it seemed suspicious it probably was. You can't even trust the police

.

Karl6
Level 2
Kure Beach, NC

Mobile I recently experienced a possible human trafficking incident and when I took what I thought was legitimate action after asking for are in beef and beans help they closed all of my accounts I would like to know if others have experienced this type of treatment.

Karl6
Level 2
Kure Beach, NC

Is anyone aware of current host training or future planned host training to recognize human trafficking? I think the Airbnb price algorithms and I believe the instant booking is a recipe for more and more of these incidents and they need to be taken seriously.

Saba-and-Sekayi0
Level 2
Washington, DC

This is a very important post and I’m very appreciative of this conversation, especially as human/sex trafficking is a significant world issue that everyone has to be vigilant of.

 

I would appreciate some feedback. Today I received a reservation request that I am instinctively suspicious of. The individual asked to call me, before being approved, and to do a walk-thru of my space. We do not do walk-thrus, especially during a pandemic, nor communicate outside of the Airbnb app, so that was a red flag however I proceeded to message the individual. Now I am being asked by the individual if it were okay to “have a massuse” come to my house. That is a glaring red flag to me, as that is a classic telltale sign of trafficking. Looking for any other similar experiences or advice on this. Thank you!