Tactics used to force victims into modern slavery are deception, abduction, debt, physical and emotional abuse, threats, withholding of wages, limitation of movement and use of unfavourable or illegal employment contracts.

Recruiters gain the trust of victims or their family members, then offer false promises of well-paid employment. They often offer young, vulnerable people facing hardship the chance to improve their lives and the lives of their families. In most cases, the victims have no idea of the reality that they will find themselves in.

Creating debt is a key tactic. Traffickers may charge excessive recruitment fees that require victims to borrow money, or provide cash advances to the victim or the family, which must be paid off. The victim is held until the debt is completely paid. Often the lender uses false accounting, invents additional debt, or charges excessive interest to heighten the debt and create uncertainty over the timeframe for payment. In some cases, oppressive or illegitimate contracts are used to justify forced labour. Often, these fraudulent agreements are signed by victims who can’t read or presented in a foreign language they don’t understand. Victims are told that if they leave the work for which they have signed a contract, penalties of fines will follow.