Human trafficking is a serious crime. Criminals will use a variety of bad means to obtain, use and dispose of the identity information of trafficked persons, including: ### Acquisition stage 1. **Violent threats** - Criminals may use violent beatings, knife threats and other means to force trafficked persons to reveal their real names, ages, home addresses and other identity information. For example, some human trafficking gangs will control victims in hidden places and physically harm them until they surrender and reveal their personal information. - Threatening the safety of family members is also a common means. For example, threatening that if the identity information is not disclosed, it will be harmful to their family members, thereby forcing the trafficked persons to surrender. 2. **Deception** - Scammers may disguise themselves as various identities, such as recruiters, kind strangers, etc., to deceive trafficked persons into revealing their personal information. For example, they may lie about having a well-paid job and ask the trafficked persons to fill in detailed personal information, including ID number, family contact information, etc. Once this information is obtained, they will be included in the trafficking chain. - Exploiting the psychological weaknesses of trafficked persons to deceive. For example, they may lure the trafficked person into revealing his or her identity information by offering to help him or her solve a difficult situation, and then conduct trafficking. 3. **Information theft** - In some cases, human traffickers will steal the trafficked person's ID card, mobile phone, or other items that can be used to obtain identity information when the trafficked person is not prepared. For example, in crowded public places such as train stations and bus stations, they may obtain the trafficked person's property and identity documents through pickpocketing and other means in order to further control and exploit them. - Or they may use technical means, such as hacking, to invade the electronic devices of the trafficked person or his or her associates, obtain documents and records containing identity information, and prepare for subsequent trafficking activities. ### Exploitation stage 1. **Falsification of identity** - Human traffickers may use the real identity information of the trafficked person to conduct some seemingly normal activities in order to cover up their crime of trafficking. For example, they may use the identity of the trafficked person to open a bank account, apply for a phone card, etc., and use these legal appearances to transfer the proceeds of crime or conduct other illegal operations, making it more difficult to track down. - More commonly, the identity of the trafficked person is forged. They may make fake ID cards and passports, etc., and disguise the trafficked persons as other people for illegal entry and exit, illegal labor and other activities. For example, young women are disguised as labor export personnel and sent abroad to engage in forced sex trade or labor. 2. **Manipulation of social relations** - Traffickers will use the identity information obtained to manipulate the contact between the trafficked persons and their families and friends. They may ask for money from the family members in the name of the trafficked persons, claiming that the trafficked persons are in danger or in urgent need of funds. For example, they ask the trafficked persons to call their families and make up lies according to their instructions to defraud their families of remittances. - Further control their behavior by mastering the social relations of the trafficked persons. If they know that the trafficked persons have important friends or relatives, they will threaten these people to force the trafficked persons to obey the arrangements and not dare to resist or seek help easily. ### Disposal stage 1. **Destruction or concealment** - During the trafficking process, in order to evade legal sanctions, human traffickers may destroy or conceal the original identity information of the trafficked persons. For example, they burn their ID cards and throw away paper documents containing identity information, in an attempt to make it difficult for law enforcement agencies to track the true identity and source of the trafficked person. - Store the acquired identity information in places that are difficult to be found, such as hiding it in some remote residences, abandoned buildings, etc., or use encrypted storage devices to increase the difficulty of information being seized. 2. **Confusing identity clues** - They will deliberately create some false identity clues to mislead the investigation direction of law enforcement agencies. For example, they will make up some background stories and related characters that have nothing to do with the real identity of the trafficked person, so that the police will get into trouble during the investigation, waste time and resources, and thus reduce the risk of being discovered and cracked down. - Sometimes the trafficked person will be confused with other people with similar identity characteristics, such as having multiple trafficked people use similar false identities, making the investigation of the case more complicated and difficult to sort out. Human trafficking is an extremely serious crime. Countries are constantly strengthening their crackdown efforts to curb this crime through various measures such as improving laws, strengthening international cooperation, and improving law enforcement capabilities to protect the personal safety and legitimate rights and interests of citizens.