Crypto-based transactions for human trafficking rose 85% in 2025, with criminals using messaging apps to sell forced labor and sex workers openly.
Boston: Criminals are using cryptocurrency to buy and sell people in ways that are hard to stop. A company that tracks crypto payments found that transactions for human trafficking grew 85% in one year. These deals often happen on apps where people chat.
Some bad groups force workers to work in fake job scams. They trap people in places across Southeast Asia. These workers make lots of money for criminals, but the criminals keep the money. Police and experts from around the world are trying to stop this.
The criminals post ads on Telegram, a messaging app, telling what services they offer. They ask for payment in stablecoins, which are like regular money but in digital form. Most of their transactions go through risky services that hide where the money really comes from, making it harder for police to stop them.