The majority of victims of kidney trafficking are from the poorest and most marginalized communities, where illiteracy and ignorance make them vulnerable to fraud and deception by brokers, and allow brokers to avoid legal consequences. The research showed that existing legal mechanisms are largely ineffective against kidney trafficking, while trafficking victims are stigmatized by their families and communities for selling their organs. As a result of this stigma, victims have often felt so isolated and rejected. In some instances, brokers have taken advantage of this isolation to coerce victims into becoming organ brokers themselves. The research revealed that most victims were never paid what was promised, and that not a single victim had improved his or her economic circumstances by selling a kidney.