What we check on Adults.co.uk, and what we don't

Earlier versions of this site said "we verify user profiles" without saying what that meant. This page replaces that line with what actually happens.

The short version

Every photo is reviewed

Each image you upload is reviewed before other members can see it. The members area's image rules don't allow nudity or lingerie shots, so expect a photo like that to be turned down. A review confirms that a picture follows the rules. It cannot confirm that the person in the picture is the person you're talking to.

ID and selfie checks, in some cases

An ID and selfie check compares a photo of an identity document with a selfie taken at the time, to confirm that a real person matches the document. On Adults.co.uk these checks are carried out by LEM Verify, an identity-verification provider.

The check is required in two situations:

• You sign up through a VPN. A VPN hides where you're connecting from, and sign-ups made through one must complete the check.
• Your account is flagged. If something about an account prompts a review, the member is asked to complete the check before carrying on.

Anyone else can choose to take the check and receive the ID badge on their profile. It is a paid extra, priced in the members area (see prices). The members-area privacy policy covers how identity data is handled.

What isn't checked

Everything people write about themselves: where they live, whether they're single, what they do for a living, what they say they want. Nobody checks any of it. That applies to members who joined through partner sites in the same network too, since their profiles appear here as well.

So read profiles the way you'd listen to a stranger in a bar: with interest, and with judgement.

What the badge tells you

A badge is a reasonable sign that a real person with a real identity is behind the profile. No badge proves nothing either way.

Warning signs in a profile or conversation

Some patterns turn up again and again in fake profiles and scams:

• photos that look like a model shoot, with nothing ordinary among them;
• a profile with almost no words, or words that don't match the photos;
• replies that ignore what you actually said, or feel scripted;
• an early push to move to another messaging app or email;
• excuses for never doing a video call;
• any request for money, gift cards, crypto or intimate images.

One sign on its own may be innocent. Two or more together is a good reason to slow down.

Checks worth doing yourself

• Ask for a short live video call before you meet. It confirms the face, and anyone genuine can manage five minutes.
• Run a reverse image search on their photos to see whether they appear elsewhere under another name.
• Keep early conversations in the members area. Our guide to scams and sextortion explains why moving off-site early is a classic warning sign.
• Notice whether their story holds together over several conversations.

Reporting a profile

If something feels wrong, stop replying and report the member through the members help centre, with their username, what happened and any screenshots. The safety page lists where to go if a crime is involved, and our first meeting safety plan covers the meeting itself. For how profiles are shared across the network, see how it works.