The danger behind influencers who have been promoting ‘international jobs only for girls’

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Casper Libero chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Recently, “international job opportunities” have flooded social media with posts targeted exclusively for girls between the ages of 18 and 24. Digital influencers have been promoting programs that offer high salaries, experiences abroad, personal growth, and unique opportunities, always with a seductive and visually glamorous narrative. However, behind this promise lie a real risks , such as exploitation, abuse, forced labor, and human trafficking.

The history behind the nowadays controversy

Unfortunately, cases of false promotions are not so recent. In 2024, the Federal Police dismantled a fake modeling agency that lured young Brazilian women with promises of work abroad. “Operation Catwalk”, as it became known, discovered that the group was involved in international human trafficking for sexual exploitation. They recruited young women with a childlike appearance, with promises of  jobs in the fashion market in destinations such as Dubai, Saudi Arabia, USA and some European countries, where they remained for 180 days. 

However, the reality was completely different from what  was promised: upon arrival, their passports were confiscated, they were under constant surveillance, and they were subjected to forced sexual work. Also, they were forced to record videos and take photos of a luxurious lifestyle that did not actually exist, in order to attract more women. Most of the victims were young and attracted through social media content or advertisements they saw on the internet. 

Some other specific cases in Brazil and abroad show the magnitude of the danger involved. This year, the Federal Police carried out an operation, “Illusory Promise”, which investigates a transnational criminal organization specializing in trafficking women. The group used as bait a supposed job vacancy in European countries, guaranteeing air tickets and accommodation. 

But what’s happening now? Recently, some Brazilian influencers posted about an “international experience” very similar to this case. They were promised a trip to Russia, where the salary was around US$680 per month, with airfare, full accommodation, medical insurance, all necessary immigration documentation, and Russian language classes included in the “package”. 

This case gained prominence due to complaints made by some relevant influencers like Guga Figueiredo and Jordana Vucetic. They warned about the program’s history and raised suspicions about the “program”,  showing some facts like: the CNPJ is not registered in Brazil, no official phone number, and images used on the website are all produced by AI, with no means of confirming that this recruitment is real and safe.

Other influencers also spoke out against it, talking about the case and warning people not to fall into this trap  even if it was promoted by famous influencers , and warning them to be careful and pay attention.  

Aila Loures, MC Thammy, and Catherine Bascoy were some of the influencers who announced this program, and with all the repercussions of the case, they issued a statement saying that they do not support this type of thing, much less would promote something so dangerous, adding that when  any advertising job comes to them, it is analyzed by an entire legal team that investigates the veracity of the  proposal in advance. 

 Aila Loures said in an Instagram video: “Before it reached me, it was analyzed to verify the legal, contractual, and documentation aspects. It was reviewed by my team, thoroughly investigated, and the existence of the company in Russia was confirmed. It was 100% legal. I would never do that intentionally, for any amount of money. I would never agree to that kind of thing, I would never get involved in something so absurd, so negative, so serious. I am waiting for the position of the agency that hired my office, but I already apologize for everything. I hope this never happens again.”

Safety online: why not believe in everything we see on social media?

The whole case raised another issue: the danger behind promotions sold on social media by influencers.  

When an influencer who has thousands of followers who trust their word  posts a “unique opportunity for growth,” especially an international one, the message tends to sound legitimate and very valuable, and feels like there is no need for any further research, thus attracting victims.  

 The case of “work opportunities abroad only for girls” highlights a problem that is now being treated as normal: believing the “tips” of bloggers. It is essential that young people know how to choose who to follow, and also learn to filter certain things, especially because what is shown on Instagram stories is only a small percentage of the reality of those who are posting it.  

More than ever, it is necessary to treat the issue seriously and expand the information available, without continuing to believe everything you see on social media or what people comment on within that space, so that no other young woman is attracted by false promises that ultimately hide sexual exploitation.  

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The article below was edited by Eloá Costa. 

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