Social Media

Social Media Grooming Tactics Used By Exploiters – 2026 update

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Person sitting and looking at a smartphone with digital social media symbols in the background

Online grooming involves deliberate manipulation aimed at children and teens through digital communication. Abusers establish emotional dependence, normalize secrecy, and progress toward sexual exploitation, sextortion, or trafficking. Rapid growth across social platforms has accelerated risk exposure at an unprecedented scale. During the first half of 2025, NCMEC logged over 518,000 reports tied to online enticement, … Read more

How Human Traffickers Use Social Media to Lure Victims

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How Human Traffickers Use Social Media to Lure Victims

Human traffickers use social media to find, contact, and trap victims with speed and precision. Fake job offers, false romance, and grooming tactics spread across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and dating apps. Each message aims to isolate, control, and exploit. Victims include teens, migrants, and vulnerable adults. Traffickers build trust first, then use threats, … Read more