Online Lures, Offline Nightmares: India’s Case Study on Social Media–Facilitated Human Trafficking

Abstract

This research study explores how traffickers use social media to target and lure people—mainly from tribal communities in India—into human trafficking, often by pretending to offer marriage or jobs. The researcher, based on various newspaper reports and field-based case studies, has tried to identify high-risk regions to support targeted prevention measures such as awareness camps. Through a qualitative case study approach, analyses have been done to find the traffickers’ methods, focusing on how trust, anonymity, and digital platforms are exploited to deceive economically vulnerable populations. The study pays particular attention to fake marriages that result in forced prostitution and abuse. The victimization pattern and the role of social media in facilitating exploitation have been studied and discussed here. It also examines the social and legal consequences of these crimes, the challenges in detection and prosecution, and gaps in existing legal frameworks and concludes with recommendations.