374: How Illicit Massage Parlors Really Launder Their Money

374: How Illicit Massage Parlors Really Launder Their Money

Youngbee Dale joins Dr. Sandie Morgan to explain how traffickers run commercial sexual exploitation as a business, hiding it behind storefronts, shell companies, and cash, and why identifying victims often comes down to asking what they're being charged for. Chapters * (00:00) - Trafficking Is a Business, Not Just Exploitation * (01:27) - Financial Crime as an Anti-Trafficking Tool * (04:26) - Why Trafficking Networks Operate by Culture * (08:01) - Following the Cash: KYC and Transaction Patterns * (12:23) - Hidden Ties, Shell Companies, and a Real Case * (15:07) - The Questions That Reveal Exploitation * (20:01) - Updating Training and Building a Collaborative Response * (28:00) - The East Asian Crime Newsletter and How to Connect About Youngbee Dale Youngbee Dale is an anti-trafficking consultant, researcher, trainer, and expert witness whose work focuses on the commercial sex market in the United States, with particular expertise in Asian and Korean sex trafficking, illicit massage businesses, organized crime, money laundering, visa fraud, tax evasion, and financial crime indicators connected to exploitation. As CEO of Dale Consulting, LLC, she trains and consults for law enforcement, prosecutors, financial crime professionals, courts, policymakers, government agencies, and victim service providers. Her clients have included the New York State Human Trafficking Intervention Court Conference, the Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists, the FBI Southern District of New York, the NYPD Human Trafficking Case Unit, and several state trafficking commissions and task forces. Earlier she served as an NGO liaison to the FBI Norfolk Office and worked with Gonggam Public Law Office in Seoul, Korea. Her peer-reviewed research appears in Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence. She holds an M.A. from Regent University. Key Points • Traffickers treat commercial sexual exploitation as a business model where the goal is profit, so disrupting it means following the money back to the person actually running the operation. • Because anti-trafficking work has centered on victims, there is far less research on the financial crime, immigration fraud, and business structures traffickers rely on to operate. • Networks tend to follow their own cultural business patterns, so Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese operations launder money and handle payment differently, such as cash-only Chinese parlors versus credit-and-cash Korean ones. • "Know your customer" (KYC) analysis helps investigators recognize trafficking transaction patterns, which look different for domestic minor sex trafficking than for Asian illicit massage businesses tied to grocery stores, real estate, title agencies, or restaurants. • Following cash often means tracing it from the parlor through couriers to a profiteer who deposits it into business accounts or shell corporations, sometimes linked through shared addresses or property owned by family. • The questions that surface exploitation today focus on deductions, hidden fees, fines, wages, and debt bondage, since traffickers have moved past older controls like passport confiscation and forced on-site living. • A South Korean trafficker told Dale that operators fear the Department of Labor more than vice units, because wage and deduction questions can make a woman realize she is being exploited. • Stronger cases require offender-focused research, updated training, forensic accounting, and collaboration among prosecutors, the US attorney, and local law enforcement, who often lack funding for complex financial investigations. Resources • Dale Consulting [https://www.dale-consulting.com/] – Youngbee Dale's consulting firm and primary website. • Money Laundering in the Commercial Sex Market in the United States [https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/dignity/vol4/iss4/1/] • Visa Fraud in the Commercial Sex Market in the United States: An Overview [https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/dignity/vol6/iss1/1/] • Tax Evasion and Fraud in the United States Sex Market [https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/dignity/vol7/iss1/6/] • Beyond Massage Parlors: Exposing the Korean Commercial Sex Market in the United States [https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/dignity/vol2/iss4/4/]

373: What Happens to Survivors After They Reach Safety?

Derek Marsh joins Dr. Sandie Morgan to reflect on what they learned inside refugee communities in Greece — where Sudanese survivors of labor trafficking, and mothers rebuilding after violence, reveal how trust, disclosure, and practical support can change what people are able to name, ask for, and access. Chapters * (00:00) - Welcome and What Made This Year's Greece Trip Different * (04:51) - Inside the Refugee Camp at Kyllini * (08:11) - Why Survivors Hesitate to Disclose — and the Brutality They Described * (10:21) - Man to Man: Opening Up About Exploitation That Hasn't Stopped * (14:46) - How Greece Identifies Victims While Saving Lives * (17:43) - A Day of Respite: The Single-Mothers Camp * (23:13) - Building Resilience and the Power of a Positive Presence * (29:49) - Taking the Lessons Home: Meeting People Where They Are About Derek Marsh Derek Marsh is Associate Director of the Global Center for Women and Justice at Vanguard University, where his work centers on education, prevention, and labor trafficking awareness. A longtime collaborator with Dr. Sandie Morgan and a recurring voice on the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast, he helps lead the Global Center's annual study-abroad program in Greece, returning to refugee-serving communities there many times over the years. He came to anti-trafficking work through law enforcement, founding the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, and brings that frontline perspective to questions of victim identification and case development. On this trip, his expertise in labor trafficking — and his ability to connect man-to-man with male survivors who are often reluctant to identify themselves as victims — created space for Sudanese refugees to disclose exploitation they had not previously named. Key Points • This year's student group was strikingly independent, and a visit to the Young Diplomat Academy — hosted by Greece's National Human Trafficking Rapporteur — opened the door to a possible future partnership. • For the first time, the team entered a refugee camp in remote Kyllini, where Sudanese men who had been labor trafficked lived three-and-a-half hours from Athens, making access to paperwork and services extremely difficult. • Survivors were hesitant to disclose their trafficking — partly because earlier promises of help had gone unfulfilled — and when they did open up, Derek was struck by how violent and physical their labor trafficking had been. • Having a man speak man-to-man with male survivors lowered their barriers, and they revealed that exploitation was continuing right near the camp, where local actors had quickly learned to target new arrivals. • Greece's EKKA reported 891 identified victims — an admirable number for a nation of under 11 million on the front line of the Mediterranean migration crisis, where authorities must prioritize saving lives before investigating crimes. • At a separate camp for single mothers near Pyrgos, the team hosted a respite event with childcare, art therapy, and resources; the women had walked 45 minutes carrying their children to attend. • A student caring for a three-year-old watched him duck and cover at the sound of a passing plane — a vivid reminder that reaching safety is not enough, and that building resilience is key to a child's recovery. • The closing challenge: you don't need to visit a refugee camp to help — meet displaced people where they are, understand their context, and "look for the handle close to you," whether abroad or in your own community. Resources • Global Center for Women and Justice [https://www.gcwj.org/] • Humanitarian Initiative Bridges [https://www.bridges.org.gr/] • A21 [https://www.a21.org/] • EKKA — National Centre for Social Solidarity (National Referral Mechanism) [https://ekka.org.gr/index.php/en/ethnikos-mixanismos-anaforas-en] • Ending Human Trafficking — Episode 371: Dr. Heracles Moskoff [https://endinghumantrafficking.org/371/]

372: How Traffickers Use TikTok the Same Way Brands Do

Christa Wiens joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as they explore why the answer to online exploitation isn't the perfect parental control — it's helping young people recognize manipulation, build critical thinking skills, and know who they can safely turn to when something feels off. About Christa Wiens Christa Wiens is the Executive Director of the Central Valley Justice Coalition, a California-based nonprofit focused on preventing human trafficking through education, outreach, and community collaboration. She has spent over a decade in the anti-trafficking field, beginning her career with the Justice Coalition as an Education Coordinator, where she developed and delivered training programs that reached thousands of youth and adults across the Central Valley. She stepped into the Executive Director role in 2022 and has continued to expand the organization's reach and impact. Christa is the author of the Understanding Human Trafficking series and has contributed to multiple publications on trafficking awareness and prevention. Her work frequently intersects with faith communities, education systems, and local stakeholders, where she advocates for proactive, trauma-informed approaches and stronger preventive frameworks. She holds a Master of Arts in Ministry, Leadership, and Culture from Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary. Chapters Key Points • Traffickers have adopted the exact same cross-platform influencer model that legitimate brands use — and parents who don't recognize it are missing how exploitation actually operates online. • Looking for the "right app" or "right setting" to protect kids is chasing the wind; what's actually needed are better relational tools for conversation, not better technical controls. • Social media platforms are engineered to maximize engagement, which makes our kids the product — and platforms like TikTok deliberately change what they show users the moment they turn 18. • The most effective protective posture isn't imposing rules but asking open-ended hypothetical questions ("What would you do if...?") so kids see parents as safe, curious allies rather than authorities who will punish them. • Building agency means using the language of "when you make a mistake" rather than "if" — signaling that mistakes are expected, that kids won't be abandoned when they happen, and that they can always come back to a trusted adult. • The driver's permit is a powerful analogy for devices: we don't hand teenagers keys and say "best of luck" — we graduate access gradually, narrate the dangers, and teach them to recognize the red flags, like content that makes them feel big, urgent emotions. • Youth in foster care and system involvement are especially vulnerable online because they often lack a trusted adult — equipping care providers with conversation tools and connecting youth to resources like NCMEC's Take It Down are critical protective steps. • Young people who receive trafficking prevention education report a profound sense of relief — they knew something was off but had no language for it — and once equipped, they become peer educators and advocates in their own communities. Resources • Central Valley Justice Coalition [https://justiceco.org/] • NCMEC Take It Down [https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/] • National Center for Missing & Exploited Children [https://www.missingkids.org/home] • PACT 2025 Reignite Convening [https://pact.cfpic.org/reignite2025/]

371: Why Strong Trafficking Laws Still Miss Real Victims

Dr. Heracles Moskoff joins Dr. Sandie Morgan to explore what happens after a country builds the laws, shelters, and partnerships meant to protect people — and why outcomes still depend on whether someone, somewhere, recognizes what others overlook. Chapters About Dr. Heracles Moskoff Dr. Heracles Moskoff serves as Secretary General for Vulnerable Persons and Institutional Protection at Greece's Ministry of Migration and Asylum, a role he assumed in July 2023. He previously served as Special Secretary for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors (2021–2023), overseeing the implementation of Greece's National Guardianship System and frameworks for the accommodation and protection of unaccompanied children. With over two decades of experience in migration policy, human security, and anti-trafficking efforts, Dr. Moskoff has held roles within Greece's Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2001, including as Expert Counselor on Human Security. In 2013, he was appointed National Rapporteur on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, coordinating Greece's National Referral Mechanism and National Action Plan (2018–2022). He represents Greece at the EU, United Nations, Council of Europe, and OSCE. He holds a PhD in Sociology from the London School of Economics. Key Points • Most countries have robust anti-trafficking legal frameworks, but the real gap is “national ownership” — the capacity of frontline professionals to recognize indicators when victims do not self-identify. • Faith communities and faith-based NGOs are essential partners because they reach both potential victims and the demand side at an existential level that law enforcement cannot. • Greece's National Emergency Response Mechanism — a 24/7 hotline with mobile units — has helped recover more than 10,000 unaccompanied children over the last five years. • A culture of impunity persists worldwide: only a small percentage of victims are identified and only a small percentage of perpetrators face justice; the identification chain has to extend beyond police to medical, migration, and public administration professionals. • Trafficking is not only the textbook case — the “gray area” of dirty, difficult, dangerous informal work for unaccompanied minors is its own form of exploitation, often tolerated by enforcement. • Consumer demand and corporate supply chains require regulation with real teeth; well-intentioned laws like the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act remain under-enforced, and Greece faces the same gap. • A new presidential decree authorizes new departments dedicated to anti-trafficking and gender-based violence, including planned shelters for male victims and victims of forced labor. • Survivors of forced criminality carry trauma alongside extraordinary resilience; with proper mental health support, integration can produce what Dr. Moskoff calls “a miracle of integration.” Resources • Global Center for Women and Justice [https://www.gcwj.org/] • Greece Ministry of Migration and Asylum [https://migration.gov.gr/en/] • Greece National Emergency Response Mechanism (for unaccompanied minors) [https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/projects/greece-national-emergency-response-mechanism_en] • EU Pact on Migration and Asylum [https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/pact-migration-and-asylum_en] • United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime [https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/organized-crime/intro/UNTOC.html] • California Transparency in Supply Chains Act [https://oag.ca.gov/SB657]

370: Why Mentorship Fails Without Shared Lived Experience

Martha Trujillo joins Dr. Sandie Morgan to ask what changes when communities stop seeing vulnerable youth as problems to be managed and start seeing them as young people in need of support. About Martha Trujillo   Martha Trujillo is the founder of Full Circle Orange County, an organization dedicated to supporting risk-impacted and at-risk students through mentorship, education, and community. Her work is informed by lived experience: she grew up in Orange County and faced significant challenges as a young person, including foster care, gang involvement, expulsion from school, juvenile detention, substance use, and victimization. She now uses her story to guide and empower students facing similar obstacles. Trujillo holds a master’s degree in criminology from UC Irvine and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from California State University, Fullerton, and is preparing to pursue a doctorate in education at UC Irvine. Through Full Circle, she practices “diversion through mentorship,” combining workshops, re-entry support, and one-on-one guidance for youth in schools, group homes, and detention centers across Orange County and beyond. Chapters   * (00:00) - Introduction * (01:09) - Know More, Do Better and Full Circle Orange County * (05:50) - Martha's Journey: Foster Care, Gangs, and Juvenile Hall * (12:49) - Feeding Before Teaching: An Approach Built on Lived Experience * (15:39) - Why Prevention Must Start Earlier * (21:15) - Mentorship, Lived Experience, and Dual Status Kids * (27:53) - Hopes for Full Circle and Coming Full Circle Key Points   • Full Circle Orange County’s mission is preventing youth incarceration in adulthood by helping kids be identified early as victims rather than written off as criminals. • Martha’s “feeding before teaching” approach — breaking bread with youth before any workshop — builds trust and recognizes the unmet basic needs that often shape kids’ behavior. • Lived experience is one of three pillars (alongside academic training and direct work with youth) that shapes how Martha builds rapport with students no one else has been able to reach. • Early human trafficking prevention should begin between ages 9 and 14, in language that’s age-appropriate but not avoidant — and not reserved only for kids in poverty-stricken environments. • “Dual status” youth (both foster and probation-involved) need support that recognizes them as children first, not as labels — and the juvenile justice system has resources to help them, if we use them well. • Mentors who share appropriate pieces of their own story give kids something to relate to; without that connection, real rapport is rarely possible. • Survivors going through religious rites of passage may be carrying hidden trauma; faith communities have a vital role in trauma-informed prevention conversations. • Coming full circle: Martha was expelled from Nicolas Junior High in eighth grade — and years later returned to receive an honorary promotion certificate alongside its current eighth graders. Resources   • Full Circle Orange County [https://fullcircleorangecounty.org/] • Know More, Do Better (OC Human Trafficking Task Force) [https://www.ochumantrafficking.com/knowmoredobetter] • Global Center for Women and Justice (Vanguard University) [https://www.gcwj.org/] • CASA of Orange County [https://www.casaoc.org/]