There’s no better reminder than Valentine’s Day that for most of us, the desire for love runs deep. And traffickers are well aware of this; they use the illusion of love to lure people into exploitation. For many victims of sex trafficking, their story doesn’t begin with an abduction in a dark alleyway or a drug slipped to them by a stranger. It starts with a romance.
The “loverboy” method is one of the most common tactics traffickers use to gain control over their victims. They manipulate affection, trust, and emotional vulnerability, turning love into a weapon for exploitation.
Since understanding this method is one of the best ways to protect potential victims, let’s take some time to understand it.
The loverboy method relies on emotional control rather than immediate force. Loverboys take on the role of a romantic suitor to win their victim’s trust, then use that relationship to manipulate them into sex trafficking. Often, victims have no idea they’re being trafficked at all.
Traffickers intentionally seek out vulnerable people to exploit. Usually, this means women who have had a difficult upbringing, a rocky relationship with their family, or who are overall lacking emotional support in their lives. In other words, they look for people with a relational vacuum that they can fill. They then present themselves as the “perfect” romantic partner. The victim feels hope and becomes emotionally attached to who she perceives as a real-life Prince Charming.
But over time, the dynamic begins to shift.
Typically, the trafficker will gradually distance the victim from their friends or family, framing outside relationships as threats to create a sense of emotional dependence. As the victim’s world shrinks, the trafficker’s power grows. By the time the victim is cut off from outside support and input, they are more reliant on their abuser than ever.
It’s at this point that the loverboy makes his request, often framing it as a sacrifice for the relationship, or a necessity to “help us survive.” Even after exploitation begins, many victims don’t realize what’s happening. They believe they’re helping someone they love.
One reason the loverboy method is so dangerous is that it doesn’t match the stereotypes many people associate with trafficking.
There is no kidnapping involved, and usually no violence. The relationship may look and feel like a normal romance or relationship. Showered with attention, compliments, and gifts, the victim has no idea they are entering a carefully crafted trap. Instead, they feel seen and valued, perhaps for the first time in their life. This makes the loverboy method difficult to recognize—and often, difficult to rescue people from, since victims don’t realize they’re being exploited.
Although it is harder to spot, this form of sex trafficking is just as pernicious and common as other types. Data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline showed that from 2020 to 2022, 39% of sex trafficking victims were exploited by someone they believed to be their romantic partner.
Because this type of exploitation is subtle, recognizing the signs of a loverboy is critical. Some warning signs may include:
While these factors don’t automatically signal trafficking, taken together, they can indicate a dangerous situation ahead.
Human trafficking is often invisible, but that does not mean it is rare. On the contrary, it is the fastest-growing illegal enterprise, exploiting millions of people and generating an estimated $236 billion every year.
Driven by these profits, traffickers have learned to adapt quickly, using technology and social trends to reach new victims. In fact, online spaces have proven to be the perfect hunting ground for loverboys. The anonymity and constant access allow them to build emotional connections quickly and privately, and often with victims they might not otherwise have access to—such as children.
In 2025, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received 518,720 reports concerning online enticement of children. (That’s roughly double the previous year.) These reports are filled with the fingerprints of the loverboy method: flattery, gifts, and promises of a bright future, all under the guise of “love.”
This is not surprising when considering that children represent over a third of sex trafficking victims worldwide.
It’s time to take a stand against this horrific crime.
The loverboy method thrives in secrecy. Awareness disrupts it.
When people understand how sex trafficking works, traffickers lose one of their most powerful tools: deception.
Atlas Free is working to expose trafficking networks, support survivors, and pursue justice. Our work is rooted in the belief that exploitation is not inevitable—instead, it is a people-made problem that can be solved by people like you. Join our monthly giving program today, or click here to learn more ways you can join the fight against trafficking.
