Fake profiles, money requests and sextortion: how to stay safe

Most scams on adult sites follow a handful of scripts. They rely on two things: moving you somewhere the site can't see, and making you feel too awkward to tell anyone. Knowing the scripts takes most of the power out of them.

The scams at a glance

Five scripts account for most of the harm in adult dating. Each one has a tell, and each has the same right response: stop, don't pay, report.

The quick move off the site

A new contact is keen, flattering and very quick to suggest WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat or email instead of the site's messages. Sometimes there's a reason given, such as "I'm hardly ever on here". The real reason is that off the site, nobody can report or remove them, and you have handed over a phone number.

There's nothing wrong with moving to a phone call once you've built some trust. Be wary of anyone who wants to move before that.

The fake "verification"

You're told that, before meeting, you must prove you're genuine, or "safe", by signing up to another website, paying a small fee, or entering your card details or ID somewhere. The link leads to a paid site that pays the scammer a commission, or to a page that harvests your card details.

An example of the kind of message to ignore: "I've been burned before, so I only meet people who've registered on this safety site. It's a quick card check, nothing's charged." No genuine member needs you to do this. Never start an identity check from a link someone has sent you; on Adults.co.uk, go to the members area yourself. Our page on what we check and what we don't explains when a check applies.

The money request

After days or weeks of attention comes a problem: a train fare to come and see you, a hotel deposit, a phone bill, a medical bill, a gift card "to show you're serious". The amount often starts small. Adult dating never requires you to send a member money, and anyone who asks is very likely a scammer.

The investment tip

A charming contact mentions how well they're doing with cryptocurrency or trading, and offers to show you how. The platform they point you to is fake, and the "profits" you see on it are numbers on a screen. Romance and investment don't mix.

Sextortion: what it is and how it starts

Sextortion, short for sexual extortion, is blackmail using intimate images or video. It is usually run by organised gangs, often overseas, for money. The National Crime Agency says victims can be any age, with men aged 18 to 30 particularly at risk.

The usual pattern: someone persuades you into an intimate video call or to send explicit images, often after sending images that appear to be of themselves. Then the tone changes. They have a recording, they've found your friends or employer online, and they'll send it to everyone unless you pay.

In England and Wales, threatening to share an intimate image is itself a crime under section 66B of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, whether or not the image exists. Blackmail is a crime everywhere in the UK.

Warning signs

Any one of these is a reason for caution; two or more and it's time to stop.

• The photos look like a model shoot, or a reverse image search finds them elsewhere under other names.
• They won't do a normal phone or video call, or the camera never quite works.
• The conversation moves to sex or to money unusually fast.
• They push hard to move off the site.
• Their story has small inconsistencies: where they live, their job, their age.
• They ask for anything financial: money, gift cards, card details, bank details, crypto.

Remember that what members write about themselves on Adults.co.uk is not checked. Every photo here is reviewed, and the optional ID badge shows who has confirmed their identity, but neither proves someone's intentions.

If you're being blackmailed

It is frightening, and it is common. These steps follow the National Crime Agency's advice:

1. Don't pay. Paying marks you as someone who pays, and demands usually continue. If you've already paid, don't pay any more.
2. Stop replying. Don't argue, plead or negotiate. Block them once you've saved the evidence.
3. Keep the evidence. Screenshot the profile, usernames, messages, and any payment details or links. Note dates and times. Don't delete the conversation.
4. Deactivate, don't delete. If you want to go quiet on social media, deactivate accounts rather than deleting them, so data can be retrieved. Lock down friend and follower lists.
5. Collect any links. If images have been posted, note the web addresses for the police or a takedown service, but don't share them with anyone else.
6. Report the profile on whatever site or app they used. On Adults.co.uk, report it from inside the members area.
7. Report it to the police. Call 101, or 999 if you feel at risk. If you've lost money, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland you can also report to Report Fraud.
8. Get the images blocked. The Revenge Porn Helpline (0345 6000 459) helps adults in the UK whose intimate images have been shared or threatened. StopNCII.org lets adults create a digital fingerprint of an image, without uploading it, so participating platforms can block it.

It is not your fault. If it's weighing on you, Samaritans are free to call, day or night, on 116 123.

If you've lost money

Call your bank straight away. Dial 159 to be put through safely to your bank, if it takes part in the Stop Scams UK service, or use the number on the back of your card. The sooner they know, the better the chance of stopping a payment.

Then report it:

Report Fraud replaced the old Action Fraud service in December 2025. If you see an old page or leaflet telling you to contact Action Fraud, use Report Fraud instead. Scam emails can be forwarded to the National Cyber Security Centre's reporting service.

Habits that keep you safe

• Keep conversation on the site until you've spoken properly by phone or video.
• Never send money, gift cards or card details to anyone you've met through a dating site.
• Only enter card details in the members area itself. Checkout there shows the billing name your statement will use; our prices page explains what you pay for and how renewal works.
• Think before sharing explicit images, especially any that show your face, tattoos or your home.
• Meet in person, in public, early on. A scammer can't. Our first meeting safety plan explains how.

Our safety and consent page explains how to report a member and lists support lines for each part of the UK, and the consent guide covers why images need consent as much as anything else.