Hidden in Plain Sight – A Video Campaign for Hagar International
Human trafficking is no longer a distant problem—it’s reaching us directly through the phones in our pockets. Scammers, often victims of trafficking themselves, are forced to send fraudulent messages, weaving a thread of connection between their suffering and the day-to-day lives of those they scam. This intersection of trafficking, scamming, and technology has created an urgent moment in time—a moment impossible to ignore.
Scamming has grown into a $3 trillion industry, fueled by the ubiquity of cryptocurrency, economic instability, and a hyperconnected global population. In Cambodia alone, organized crime syndicates operating scam compounds generate an estimated $14 billion annually. Victims, often recruited under false promises of legitimate work, are stripped of their passports, forced into horrific conditions, and subjected to violence if they fail to meet quotas. For many, escape is only possible if a ransom—sometimes as high as $70,000—is paid.