The NYPD is warning that the ongoing FIFA World Cup may see sex trafficking explode across the Big Apple, as unscrupulous pimps look to lure in visitors for seedy, illegal behavior before and after games.

Assistant Commissioner of the NYPD’s Gender-Based Violence Policy and Planning Unit Kathleen Baer and Lieutenant Christopher Zizza of the Special Victims Unit looked to alert tourists and native New Yorkers alike on Tuesday to the warning signs of sex trafficking. According to the pair, the department believes there may be a surge in criminal sexual activity related to the World Cup, such as pimps forcing women and/or underage girls into prostitution either on the street or online advertisements.

Baer and Zizza shared warning signs for the public to detect possible sex and human trafficking in progress, and report it to police immediately.

“They can be dressed inappropriately. They can be with an older person and look like they’re not able to speak for themselves when they’re asked questions. They’re always looking to somebody else for the answer, and they’re timid,” Baer said. “There’s no definitive answer of how people are being exploited.”

Bear went on to add that victims could hail internationally or could be born in New York, and while police investigate the disturbing crime all year round, events like the World Cup see the exploitation spike. In response, police say they have surged in enforcement and investigations leading up to the massive event.

“We’re going to be focusing on transit hubs, the bus terminal areas where, like the hotels, there’s a large influx of people that are staying, obviously, to attend these games and attend all the watch parties that we’re having. We’re focusing our attention on those areas. We’re also monitoring online to see if we can find where traffickers might be looking to operate, or you know, just to monitor any increase in activity,” Zizza said. “We have increased all of our efforts to really focus on both sex trafficking and labor trafficking.”

Sex trafficking victims urged to come forward to NYPD

Both Zizza and Baer also implored victims to come forward if they can, adding that they will not be charged with any crime and will be treated as a survivor, yet it is not often that easy.

“These cases are usually long-term investigations into pimps and traffickers. Survivors are very reluctant to come forward. Most survivors are trained and brainwashed by their traffickers to mistrust law enforcement, so these investigations take a very long time, but we work by identifying the pimps and the traffickers, conducting intelligence, gathering evidence until we’re able to build a case, and then make that arrest,” Baer said.

NYPD

“That’s why I think it’s so important to just keep reassuring the fact that we want the survivors to come forward to speak to us, and they will be treated that way, because no one should be in fear that they are going to get in trouble,” Zizza added.

Police are asking the public to keep a lookout for potential victims and to contact police immediately.

If you believe you see human trafficking in progress, call the NYPD Human Trafficking hotline at 646-610-7272 or Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.