Scams sex workers should be aware of

The most common scams in sex work every sex worker should be aware of, and how to avoid being scammed.

NO PAY BEFORE PLAY – EVER!

The golden rule of sex work is:

ALWAYS GET YOUR MONEY FIRST BEFORE DOING ANYTHING!

Scams sex workers should be aware of –

The “I promise to pay later” scam:

They will NOT send “when I get paid on ???day” – you’ll do the session and they block you – End.

You will not get that $500 “allowance” at the end of the week either.

Only accept gifts for what they are – GIFTS, and it’s not real until it is in your hands.

The I’m a nice honest rich guy scam:

Nobody who is nice, honest, trustworthy, a whale or rich feels the need to advertise this – you are being scammed!
Ever notice how a bio will say “I respect all women”, but their feed is full of disrespectful comments and jokes about women?

Read our blog How to interpret red flags for more info on understanding people’s motivation.
Knowing why people say certain things will make your life and business a LOT easier!
Judge people by their actions – not their words.

The fake Cash scam:

Counterfeit money is everywhere – don’t be lazy, COUNT IT!, AND check the holograms/watermarks etc.
These guys will usually want the lights turned down and/or try to rush you not checking the money properly.
You won’t be the first to open your envelope afterward only to find a pile of “funny money”.

Plastic money

There are copies now that are so good you have to check the hologram carefully to see both pictures.

Paper money

Usually different denominations are different sizes, but if someone hands you a wad of fake notes you won’t be able to tell the difference without a real note to compare with.

Learn to feel the texture of the paper money in your area.
Paper type money will have ridges in certain areas.
In the USA – bills from $1-$100 – Scratch the collar of the President with your fingernail.
If it has ridges, it’s real, fake notes have smooth ink in this area.

There are also Money markers (2 types) you can buy on Amazon/Ebay which (1) change color in the prescence of bleach on fake money/paper or (2) have a U/V light inside the pen.

Counterfeit Ink Pens/Money Markers

Frankly these are a waste of time, they dry out or simply don’t work on good fake (bleached) notes, or real money that has been washed.
Countefeit experts use real notes and bleach them, then reprint them as a bigger note – these ink pens can’t tell the difference.

Counterfeit UV pens

These are only good in low light conditions, then there’s the battery to keep replacing.

Counterfeit U/V Money Scanners

These are cheap and quick and are used by many retail shops to check for fakes quickly.
They can be found on eBay/Amazon etc for $20-$200.
The cheaper ones aren’t very bright, better to spend a bit more and it will save you in the long run.

The Bank Deposit scam:

This is common on FB marketplace, the buyer forwards a fake bank deposit notice, blames the banks for being “slow”, and then tries to rush the sale before you realize that the money was never sent.
The giveaway here is the client is always in a rush and blaming the banks.

Bank Deposit verif scam:

This looks looks like a SMS deposit confirmantion from your bank but contains a “link to confirm”.
The link takes you to a fake bank site which asks for your password, login etc.
Never click on deposit links!

The clone scam:

Scammers create an almost identical profile to yours on social media, they block you so you can’t see them and then they try to get money/business out of your followers/friends.
On FB etc they will attempt to “friend” all your friends in an attempt to “clone” you, on Xwitter they “follow” all your followers.
Always have friends keep an eye out and also search your names from alt accounts.
Never discuss payments in public, DM’s only! – as you can see in this example a scammer saw the conversation and quickly inserted his paypal address using the same pics and a near identical username, luckily he/she forgot to block the person they were cloning.

The E-whoring scam:

This is a variation of the clone/catfish scam, the scammer creates an identical “provider” profile using stolen provider pics/posts and attempts to “catfish” YOUR clients into spending large amounts of money.

We have “providers” trying to join the site without any “social proof”, their pages are nothing more than other people’s retweets and say/show/link nothing of the provider in question.
If these are real providers – You need to seriously rethink your marketing strategy folks, Twitter/IG/Xpurity can be powerful tools if used correctly.

The email address scam:

If your email address is public, ie on your Tw/FB profile or on your ungated website, scammers will scrape & use your email address to send out payment requests, malware, spam, viruses etc, etc.
DO NOT EXPOSE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC!

The RT-RT scam:

Mutuals claim to like-for-like or retweet-for-retweet, you do the work and they don’t return the favor.
This technique can help boost engagement, but a timeline full of other people’s lunches, new shoes, hotel bathrooms etc doesn’t do your image any favors and Xwitter regards it as manipulating their platform.

Very often these requests come from bot (scam) accounts trying to gain followers and credibility where there is none – Check who you follow!

Showing sexual acts and nudity without warning filters on your timeline can/will get you SB’d or revoked on Xwitter.
(Xwitter and B/Sky have now begun applying filters to all Adult accounts – we guess this is in order to comply with the new Texas 30% porn law?)

Common website scams:

Escort sites demanding payment:

Providers are the “products” and should never have to pay to list on sites, this is especially true in poorer countries with large numbers of survival sex workers (like ours).
There is also an issue with various sites rumoured to “sell” or “share” your PI with feds, scam sites etc.

There are billions of customers willing to pay to view and contact providers, the current problem is that clients have become entitled to decades of free porn, content and ad sites.
With new age & porn laws being introduced online, this HAS to change in the next few years.

Clients paying an online subscription also ensures that the client:
a) Is genuinely interested in the services on offer (less likelyhood of timewasters, LE, TERFS).
b) Is old enough to manage a bank account without furnishing ID online.
c) Can be permanently banned from using the site.

DM Scams:

Your DM’s are NOT private on social media sites!
Elon has repeatedly stated that the feds have access to every DM on Xwitter.
Recently a man was arrested for (jokingly) telling his friends he was going to blow up a plane on Snapchat.

Sites taking a percentage of sales:

Most streaming/content/fan sites take a percentage of your sales – why?
Surely a flat rate or a small client membership fee is enough to generate a pretty reasonable profit from thousands of clients?
Sites not making all members subscribe/verify are unsafe and at risk of being closed under FOSTA etc,
they are also exposing you to kids, scammers, TW’s etc.

Anyone who offers a content site with reduced percentages is swamped on Xwitter, surely there is a better/easier way?

Fake site emails:

Emails using the site name but a Gmail address/Similar address? 🤣
Sites have their own domains and use the domain address only for their emails.
These faked emails usually request money, passwords, PI or bank info, or contain links to malicious sites.
Always check the actual address and not the name, the real sender address is in the <> brackets.

Fake SMS messages:

As with faked emails these messages are designed to scam you, collect PI or load viruses.
Sites and banks will never ask you for passwords or Private Info, verify accounts etc via text.

Sites demanding ID/Age verification:

Not only has this been proven to be unconstitutional, unreliable and hazardous in many countries ie RSA, Australia, France etc, but also these sites/AV agencies are rumored to be selling the collected info to federal agencies, scammers, spammers and direct marketers!
Sites operating under GDPR are required to retain your PI for 4 years AFTER you cancel your membership – Be warned.

Sex workers worldwide are wondering why their bank accounts are frozen, their visas denied, loans refused, phones and friends monitored etc, etc.

Unless a site/agency has access to every National database worlwide – There simply is NO WAY to verify an ID is genuine.

This guy has been evading cops, providers and sites in California, he just makes new ID’s, accounts, phones etc and has been abusing and conning sex workers for years. He prefers dimly lit rooms and always pays in fake bills.

Using ID to verify a persona? – 🤣

Most personas nowadays are face in, so it makes absolutely no sense trying to attach a face/ID to faceless personas.

ALL information uploaded to sites is stored and waiting to be stolen – remember Ashley Maddison?
The less private info you upload – the safer you will be, this is also why we encourage providers never to go face out.

Many “verification agencies” we believe are nothing more than fronts for Govt agencies using facial tech (OSINT) to tie your ID, SM, AD, CONTENT, BANK accounts together.

Sites AND site hosting servers are hacked every day/night and the figures have to be seen to be believed, these are the Dec 2023 figures from only one online security app last December.

The ID card scam:

People can now use aging software to modify portrait pics online.
Apps like Onlyfake will generate and sell you an ID of your choice for $15, AND they have been proven to beat “Verification agencies” (which proves that these “agencies” are not working in collaboration with the correct authorities and merely collecting info – Who is verifying the “Verifying Agencies”?).

Adult Services List has been the recipient of numerous fake ID’s, and not having access to National databases – There is no way to prove it!
We now validate personas by their “social proof” and clients by their ability to own a Bank/Coin account.

The collection and storage of ID’s and personal info is unconstitutional in South Africa and has been banned, like a bottle store/cinema we may not retain your private info without your written consent.

The verification scam:

Clients asking for a verification video/pic before payment – they just want free wank content,
OR
LE is collecting pics/evidence for their database.

Sites asking for ID to “verify” you – against what? Unless they are a govt organization there is no way they can confirm the ID is real and all they are doing is collecting private info.
Sites like MegaPersonals are now charging $20 extra for this “verification service” which only adds more insult to the injury – You are being scammed, nobody is comparing your ID to anything.

Sex Worker Mentorship scams:

“Sex Workers” selling courses or paid mentorship schemes are no different to crypto guys selling “signals & stock picks”.
Successful people don’t normally have time to sell courses, so do your research first – there are a few genuine instructors, eg @sexworkceo

Marketing scams:

Fake Ad agencies/Marketers will offer their services, once you hand over your info they can blackmail you into paying to prevent being doxxed.

The Gift scam:

Don’t accept any Internet-connected electronic devices if they aren’t sealed from the factory, if you do make sure to wipe & format it before you do anything.
People can load custom software and enable remote administration/spy on your home environment, steal your Personal Info/Banking info.
And yes – It happens – A LOT!

The Wishlist scam:

Don’t trade anything for wishlist items until you have the gift delivered, and physically IN YOUR HANDS! People can ‘mark’ wishlist items as ‘purchased’ and trick you into giving them free content, shows, or services.

The Cash Card scam:

Make sure any private calls/cam shows are purchased in a NON-REFUNDABLE way. Doing a 2 Hr live cam show for a $300 cash gift card, just to have it refunded immediately after the show is no joke.

The OF Tip scam:

Send content on OF for unlockable Pay per views only, and NOT for tips.

Tip revenue is MUCH more easily refunded than ‘unlock’ revenue because there’s proof of content for the unlock transaction. Check on those chargebacks!

The Venmo scam:

Clients pay via Venmo weeks/months in advance, after the meeting they request a refund, win the dispute and vanish with the cash.
Venmo can also make you pay back if someone says they never received their product.

The Amazon wishlist scam:

They will purchase items in exchange for a session, you complete the session – they cancel the order.
You are never notified of the cancellation, and it will still show up on your wishlist as purchased but it will never arrive.

The Honey Birdette scam:

Scammers are now searching the comments for “Honey Birdette” and then approaching providers in DM’s and emails promising discounts on Honey Birdette products – kiss your money goodbye.
Avoid mentioning brands on social media.

The pay to receive scam:

Telling you that you must send money in order to receive money – It does not cost $ to get $.

The Cash App scam:

Even if they’re paying through Cashapp give it time till it shows in your account, there’s still time for them to cancel it. You get the notification but then it never actually comes through. Let it sit in your account for a few hours before providing any services.

The QR code scam:

QR codes can be disguised as an etransfer, once you scan the code you are taken to an identical looking but fake banking page where you are asked for your bank info and password.

In this example the fake website is Intarac.site instead of Interac.ca

The website font scam:

Not only must you look carefully at the site address, look carefully at the letters too.
Fake sites are now using fonts which are very hard to spot – Never click on forwarded links!
Always use your own bookmarked links!

The Online check scam:

You’ll cash the check, money will show in your account, the check will then bounce – Game over.

Sugar Daddy scams:

I’m a sugar daddy (SD) who wants someone to talk to and I’ll send you a weekly allowance – 🤣

Sugar daddies saying they need your banking info to transfer a large amount of money.
Don’t give anyone your banking info. In fact there have been numerous cases of SD’s suing for their “loans” to be paid back. – www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-faits-divers/2024-01-14/contrat-de-prostitution-devant-la-cour/le-client-d-une-ex-escorte-perd-sa-cause.php (this site doesn’t allow linking).

Refusing to use your preferred payment methods will land you in trouble.

The back-payment plan scam:

They pay a small portion at the time of the appointment and then pay the remaining balance in scheduled increments after your date – which simply never materializes.
It is acceptable to pay installments before the appointment only.

Crypto scams:

Test Networks scam:

Using crypto and asking you to recieve money on a TEST network to avoid tax.
It’s not real money – and again, you never pay $ to get $.
They send the cash ONLY.

Metawallet test net scam:

It’s literally a test network using pretend COIN with NO VALUE, they will try to convince you it is real.
You will be instructed to send screenshots of banking information to an email to cash out.
Not only are they trying to steal services with fake COIN, but try to gain access to your bank account.

Crypto Investment scams:

Scammers create scam promotions for bogus coins or investments that promise to make 1000+% ROI for investors, they usually have dubbed videos of E.Musk, W.Buffet, B.Gates etc telling you about a new AI/Algo that is guaranteed to make you rich.
These are Ponzi schemes where scammers plan to onboard as many investors as possible before pulling their shares. What’s troubling about these scams is that they do pay out a percentage initially (hundreds) to “hook” you into spending larger amounts (thousands) – then they pull the plug, disappear and you are left pennyless.

Hashtag #Ad scams:

If you come across a social media post from an influencer about a crypto that contains the hashtag #Ad, be mindful that the content itself is purely marketing material, and does not contain the opinions of the influencer themselves.
Even celebrities like the Kardashians have been criticized for participating in crypto marketing campaigns that were misleading to their social media followers.

PayPal scams:

If you MUST – make sure they send it as blank/friend/gift to avoid chargebacks.
But overall just avoid Paypal if you can, anyone who tells you PayPal is adult friendly is lying to you.

Paypal can be dangerous IF it’s a personal account, because clients can see your real name.
Also it looks “off” tax-wise, if you do want to use Paypal make a business account, which shows the business name instead of your real name.

International subs can send this way with ease, just be careful how they word payments (Friends/family/gift option only).

Is using Paypal business okay?? NO!

Payments can be disputed – YOU will lose every time.
PayPal is very “Anti-Adult”, if they catch you they will freeze your account for 6 months and you will then have to fight for your money.

Some other client scams:

They will send you rude messages/nudes for free exposure, time theft & free humiliation.
Dont reply – just block!

The “I’ll send 5 mins into the session” – Send them to the nearest ATM.

Forcing you to do a specific verification, or preview of what they’re buying (TW & LE).

Offering something higher than what you requested is another red flag.
Just ignore – If its a real finsub you will know.

Always check the payment notification emails against your account!
They will send an email from a Gmail/Pvt account that contains a fake receipt for giftcards or sends.

Giving you access to their social accounts in order to get your IP address when you log in.
It will tell them what you signed in on and WHERE in a notification immediately.
VPNs are your friend.

Refusing to use your preferred payment methods, esp wishtender.

So many providers on sm asking “Whats wrong with this guy?”, read our page on Red Flags to understand why clients behave oddly.

These are just a few common scams going around, if you have any more to add please forward them to us.

Stay safe, stay informed and have a great 2024!

Julian K

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How to start a webcam business.
How to avoid being doxxed.
Escort safe screening tips.
Adult Industry terms and definitions.
Escort Red Flags to watch out for.

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