Q: What is an IMB and how do IMBs generally operate?
A: IMB stands for Illicit Massage Business and is considered a business front used to cover up a human trafficking and/or money laundering criminal organization. There may be labor trafficking, sex trafficking or both occurring inside of the IMB.
Q: How do IMBs generally operate?
A: There can be multiple IMBs in one criminal network and may be connected to nail salons, grocery stores and dry cleaners that also operate as business fronts. Generally speaking, IMBs in the United States are filled with female international victims of human trafficking. These girls and women are working for very little (or even no) pay and are often forced to perform sexual acts as a part of their job. They are brought into the US under false pretenses of obtaining a legitimate job position (i.e. nanny, model, housekeeper, esthetician, restaurant worker, etc.), but ultimately, end up in forced sexual labor. A common lie told to massage therapists from Asian countries is that sexual acts are a normal part of a massage in American culture.
Q: What are the red flags that help community members to identify an IMB?
A:
Open late, past 8pm. The majority of legitimate salons and massage parlors in the U.S. close around 8pm or earlier.
Obstructed views. The front windows, if not all of the windows, are completely blacked out or covered by gigantic stock photos, dark trash bags, etc.
Out of state vehicles. There may be various vehicles with out of state license plates consistently parked in front of or behind the IMB.
Getting buzzed in. “Patrons” who are also called the johns or sex buyers must ring a doorbell to be buzzed into the business during regular daytime business hours.
Unlisted. Business is unlisted on the street sign or billboard’s list of businesses.
Too many names. Business has multiple names online for the same address.
Ordering your masseuse. The business has a covert menu for spa services that include the age, race/ethnicity and other physically identifying features of the massage therapists (i.e: young, cougar, Asian, exotic, etc.).
More men than women. Are the clientele of the spa, massage parlor or salon mostly people who identify as male? Do you frequently (or only) see males entering and exiting the IMB.
Excessively secure. Presence of an unusually large amount of security cameras and locks onsite of the physical business. This applies to the alleyways and all entrances and exits to the IMB.
Living on the premises. It appears that the massage therapists who work there also reside at the massage parlor or salon.
Q: As a citizen, what are your next steps if you suspect an IMB in your community?
A: If you suspect an IMB, it is crucial to NEVER approach these businesses or try to shut them down yourself. As a community member, you are encouraged to report illegal or suspicious activity at massage parlors whenever you notice anything that does not look, seem or feel right. Trust your instincts and remain observant of the details about these types of businesses from a safe distance. If you suspect an IMB in your community, there are 3 main ways to report:
1. Contact Local Law Enforcement: Contact local police department (PD) and ask to speak with the Human Trafficking division of your PD. If the PD is small and does not have a Human Trafficking division, you may ask to speak to the Domestic abuse division.
2. Contact Non-Law Enforcement: You may also report the IMB to the Polaris Project and National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) by calling, texting or even making a report online by clicking this link: https://polarisproject.org and 1-888-373-7888.
3. Contact Federal Law Enforcement: You may file a report online or an anonymous tip through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) by clicking on this link or calling this phone number: https://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form and 1-866-347-2423.
Q: If you are an informed citizen you would like to do more and go a step further, what else can you do?
A: As a concerned citizen, you are able to advocate for stricter laws to govern massage therapists and massage parlor businesses. In addition, you can lobby for more oversight and checks and balances to ensure legal, ethical and upstanding businesses in our communities and neighborhoods.
Here are some additional resources to learn more about IMBs in the U.S: https://polarisproject.org/massage-parlor-trafficking/
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/02/us/massage-parlors-human-trafficking.html
Lauren Lisembee, MA
Task Force Member
Founder/Director-Written On Your Heart (http://www.woyh.org)
Clinical Mental Health Counselor & Dance/Movement Therapist