Turning the Backpage: Combating Human Trafficking with Threat Intelligence
summary
Proof-of-concept collects data from eight Backpage-like classified sites and extracts 66,000 posts, yielding over 17,000 phone numbers and ~3,000 unique emails, then applies a crowdsourced keyword list and OSINT tools to pivot from listings to social profiles and timelines; 97% of emails are Gmail, which enables subpoenas to commercial providers and ISP followups. Sources are unstable and many listings lack timestamps, producing high false positives, so continuous harvesting, combined indicators, survivor-focused SOPs, and law enforcement collaboration form the recommended next steps.
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chapters (8)
- 0:00Introduction and speakers
- 1:25Why this research matters
- 9:42Sourcing and dark web myths
- 14:43Backpage-like classified sites
- 22:05Identifiers and indicators
- 31:01Research challenges and solutions
- 34:05Way forward and collaboration
- 37:25Q&A session
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