STORIES

I received the entire scheme — what to say, what data to collect. Where they got the phone numbers and information about people having money, relatives, or multiple homes — I still can't understand. I worked a bit at the post office, then at a call center. They shut it down. One day, drinking beer with a friend, we were talking about needing money, maybe I'd even go abroad, even though I had never been on vacation. A few days later, a guy named Piotr called. A stranger. He introduced himself, assured me that we had gone to the same school. Mentioned that he got my phone number from my friend. Briefly explained that he was assembling a team to work in England. It would be something like a call center. But I could initially work in an apartment where all the first employees would live together. They would take care of food, taxes. He asked if I had money for the trip. When I said no, he immediately said he'd give me a discount. He came, took my passport, and arranged everything needed for the trip. We lived in that apartment and spent time after 16-18 hours calling Lithuanian numbers, trying to extract personal codes, pins, and bank account numbers. We passed that information to others — so-called managers. They would take out loans or continue the calls, convincing people to transfer the money directly to bank accounts. They controlled everything — when we ate, when we went to the toilet, so we wouldn’t interact with each other. We were like zombies. I gained trust among the organizers and stole my passport. I had to steal my passport to escape!

With my friend Remis, we used to hang out near the local kiosk. In the evenings, both girls and those who already had cars gathered there. I tried to come home as late as possible because my mom and stepdad were always arguing. My little brother was screaming. Anyway. A guy I knew from sight told me that Remis and I were doing well, that we were in good shape, and that we could accomplish a lot of good things. He said he was gathering a team to work in England. I wanted to have my own money because asking my mom and stepdad was useless. We went off somewhere, not knowing what we were doing. He offered to look after our passports once we were in London. The next evening we went to a shopping center, and he said we needed to act fast — take phones and accessories from the electronics. Grab everything that’s more expensive. We would go on these "trips" every other day. After a few days, I wanted to quit because it felt like we had played around enough. Then the threats started, and they made it clear that they wouldn’t let us go so easily. Every time I went, I thought about how to escape. It ended when the police caught us. There was a squad near the center. Now it seems like maybe it was a good thing it didn’t last long.

I lived with my mom and stepdad in a small provincial town. I graduated from high school and immediately went to Ireland to earn money — maybe for future studies, or just as a start to life. I met other Lithuanian women there. A little later, we started interacting with Indians and Pakistanis who were renting an apartment nearby. I was charmed by Elinas. He was so attentive, never spared anything for me. I didn’t tell my mom about our relationship because she, being a bit old-fashioned, wouldn’t have approved of my idea to marry him. Yes — marry. He proposed very quickly. Even before the wedding, he hinted that if I didn’t like living with him, I could divorce. I was surprised: "Why should we divorce? We love each other?" I remember he said that at first, we would live in one apartment with his three friends. From the first day of our marriage, he forbade me from working and started controlling what and when I ate. I felt lost and didn’t understand what was happening. Then, about a week later, in the same apartment, his cousin raped me. My husband knew and did nothing. He just said that these were the conditions of our marriage, and I had to repay him for all the gifts. After a year, he started getting involved with another girl — also Lithuanian. When he brought her to the apartment, I had to lock myself in a separate room, I couldn’t talk to her or warn her. I became boring to him. He bought a ticket to Lithuania and said, "Fly to visit your mom. We’ll call you in a week — I’ll buy a return ticket." We never met again because I didn’t call him, and he didn’t look for me either. I still can’t recover. I am very grateful for the opportunity to speak with a psychotherapist every two weeks and for the help I received from an organization that helps women like me. I couldn’t afford this on my own. With the help of a social worker, I found a job in Lithuania. She helped me get back on my feet.

I moved with my wife and children from Belarus to have a calmer life. I immediately started looking for work online. We didn’t have many savings, and my wife has a mild disability but can’t work due to the stress of moving to another country. We agreed that she would stay with the kids while I worked. I found a company involved in international cargo transportation. The downside was that I had to go on a business trip to Germany. But they promised good pay. I signed a Lithuanian version of the employment contract — although I asked for a translation, they explained that there was no time and translations cost money, and they would deduct a percentage from the first paycheck, so it stayed that way. I left. I started working. One month, then another — they didn’t pay me. I started asking questions. The company’s representative reassured me that everything was fine. He asked: “What do you need? Food is provided. We’ll pay more later.” I needed to send money home, so I started demanding it. They reminded me that the documents were with them, and I had no rights here. I started threatening to take the cargo somewhere unknown. We argued. They let me go, but they didn’t pay me. They also threatened not to talk to the police because they knew where I lived and that I had a family. When I got back, I wrote a statement. We started working with a help center, looking for someone who could assist with the process. I kept the company name and people’s names. After a while, the company was dissolved. But I think they just registered under a different name and continued to look for people to exploit for labor without paying.

I saw an ad in the newspaper "Chance". It offered a legal job abroad. Just that simple. I called, and they briefly told me that the job was in Germany with a guaranteed 6-month contract. I couldn’t find anything in Moscow, and with two kids and debts, I agreed to go. I was met at the train station by Vadim and Viktoria. Both were Russian, as I understood. They were rough in behavior and appearance. Something about them didn’t sit right with me. It turned out I ended up in a brothel. They kept me in Germany for six months, then moved me to the Netherlands. In Germany, officially, the place was a nightclub. In the basement, there were illegal workers or those whose documents were taken. They took my documents and showed me pictures of other girls who had worked there—some were beaten, and others appeared dead in the photos. They threatened me. At first, when I refused to serve clients, they beat me. Several times. After I secretly called home, my daughter, with help from an international NGO, contacted the Russian consulate in the Netherlands. She called the trafficking victims’ helpline. The Dutch authorities managed to identify my location and returned me to Russia as an illegal worker in the country. That ended my nightmare, which began with an unreliable ad in the newspaper. I tell everyone: “If you’re doubtful about a job offer, always look up the company and those offering you a good salary online.”