Q&A: All About Illicit Massage Businesses (IMBs) with Lovely Lauren

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: 

1. Open late, past 8pm. The majority of legitimate salons and massage parlors in the U.S. close around 8pm or earlier. 

2. 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.

3. Out of state vehicles.  There may be various vehicles with out of state license plates consistently parked in front of or behind the IMB. 

4. 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.

5. Unlisted.  Business is unlisted on the street sign or billboard’s list of businesses.

6. Too many names.  Business has multiple names online for the same address.

7. 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.).

8. 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.

9. 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.  

10. 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

My Little Runaway

The Del Shannon 1961 Hit  and Bonnie Raitt's 1977 version of My Little Runaway imprints lyrics with the " why" and " where' of runaways, although the hit tune undoubtedly described romantic notions. (The lyrics will be spinning in your mind with the link ??? )

Several bars of the hit tune are pertinent to Human Trafficking:

"And I wonder, I wa-wa-wa-wa-wonder

Why, why-why-why-why-why

She ran away

And I wonder where she will stay

My little runaway"

Runaways are frequent targets of traffickers, preying on their desperate need for shelter and constant, gnawing hunger. 

The "why" of running away has many roots: domestic abuse, child abuse, poverty, homelessness and witnessing domestic abuse while the lure of escape towards less violence or poverty are tempting. 

The impact of coronavirus (Covid 19), with increased unemployment rates, no traditional schooling outside of the home, mandated social isolation and confinement all contribute to domestic violence involving youths and adults, linking them to vulnerability as targets for predatory human traffickers. 

Runaway youth are easy prey for the smooth talk and promises of a warm place to sleep, especially appealing during NH's winters. Many youths will not think through where they will go long term and desperately they may trade labor or sex to satisfy basic human needs. With a runaway's new isolation from family, teachers, friends or caregivers, there is increased vulnerability to being groomed and controlled by a trafficker.

Traffickers are experienced in attracting victims using various tactics:

Traffickers are clever and intentional, using different tactics to draw people into conversation, build relationships and trust, and ultimately exploit that individual.

• Romantic – cultivating role as partner (boyfriend/girlfriend), partner, protector

• False advertising – misrepresenting terms and conditions of employment, wages, educational opportunities

Who can help spot these likely children, youth and young adults and intervene before they leave home?

With schools closed, teachers, guidance counselors, sports coaches and extra curricular activity advisors are no longer the customary sentries, observing kids' behavior, identifying those at risk and reaching out to offer help and counseling. Due to Covid 19 and only online lessons, the first hand, in- person assessment of teachers, often the best means of observing students' status is no longer the safety net for identifying potential problems and troubled familial relationships. Lacking traditional school, who will step in to be the lookouts and watchdogs to detect troubling signs now? 

Kids' friends and families, relatives and neighbors can be more attentive to signs of rebellion and isolation leading kids /youths to run.  Here are some points to help increase awareness of human trafficking:  

Misidentification: Our preconceived ideas can make it hard to identify trafficking. This can be related to ideas about gender, age, appearance, choice  Victims often do not self-identify/media misrepresentations

Lack of alternatives: Victims of trafficking may not have, or be in possession of, their identification/legal documents. They do not feel they have any options if they left – means to support themselves, a place to live and other needs:

• No access to an income, home, food, money

• No job skills, some haven’t completed their education

• Some believe this is the only thing they’re good at/for

Next time you hear catchy lyrics about runaways, be aware of those children, youth and young adults who may be at risk and reach out a hand and offer to listen.

- Jane L. Hart, Task Force member and Community Volunteer

Opened Eyes

I did not have what most people would call a typical upbringing.  I was homeschooled for grades K-12.  Being the oldest of five, I had a full classroom with my siblings and learned many non-traditional things in addition to having an amazing academic upbringing.  Both of my parents had undergrad degrees and were, and still are, amazingly intelligent and talented people.  I learned how to shovel snow, change diapers, wash dishes, wash floors, and jump a car battery.  All of these experiences, which I found valuable, prepared me for living confidently as an adult.  In addition to traditional classroom material, we were encouraged in various other academic pursuits.  My mother would have us choose a topic to research using magazines, academic journals, encyclopedias, and fine literature.  We would cobble together sources without plagiarizing at a young age and learned how to cite and properly document sources. 

One of these times when I was about 12, I was flipping through a National Geographic article to find a topic to research and write a paper on.  I came across an article about human trafficking.  This particular article was about children being trafficked for labor.  I was horrified.  I remember shutting the magazine and quickly running and finding something else to focus on.  I came back to it.  I remember sneaking the magazine off to my room and reading it at night under the covers, and carefully placing the magazine back in the morning.  It felt as though it was something I had to keep secret.  That was the start of my bug.  This article opened my eyes to the plight of children in other countries who did not have the many blessings I did.  I remember doing limited research online regarding labor trafficking in other countries and writing a report on it.  I remember my mom’s praise for the report and how interesting she found the topic.  

It wasn’t until a few years later, when I was 17, I attended a Real Life Giving presentation at the Goffstown Public Library where I learned more about both labor and sex trafficking.  I also learned that it happens here in New Hampshire, and not just overseas.  I was again horrified and left the presentation feeling numb.  The reality of the crime occurring not only overseas, as the National Geographic article depicted, but right here in New Hampshire, was challenging to take in.  I read more about it, slowly.  I read ‘Half the Sky’ by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, and other books that talked about local and international trafficking.  I read many online blogs which explored the intersection between trafficking and other crimes, as well as how victims and survivors heal.  I also learned about how consumers can make unknowingly support the crime. 

Ever since then, I have worked hard to keep my eyes open and strive to make conscious decisions in both my habits and in my everyday choices.  When shopping for clothes, I choose second-hand firstly, and then, when at all possible, choose fair-trade and ethically made items, generally purchased online.  Although the allure of a cheap t-shirt and on-sale hair clips at Target or Walmart is still very tempting and appealing, those pictures from that National Geographic article still flash in my head.  The small children and thin adults at work stations with little to no space in a cramped and dirty work environment chill me -it is chilling to think others suffer for our pretty conveniences and plethora of choices. 

I dream, hope, and will work for a world in which our lifestyle is available due to the chosen and fair labor for others, both in the US and in every country in the world.  My challenge for us all, is to consider the cost of each choice, each purchase, and work in small ways to make our dollars count towards a safer and freer world.  https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fair-trade-clothing

Natalie Glisson, Task Force Member and Volunteer