Let’s talk about booking deposits, specifically in Sydney. Because honestly? My first instinct is always: if you’re asking for cash upfront before we’ve even met, you’re probably a lazy scammer. And look, logically, I get the business side of it. Sex work is fully legal here, independents run legitimate businesses, and time is money. No-shows suck, so a genuine provider asking for a holding fee to lock in a time slot makes sense on paper. It’s what any other freelancer does.
But out here in the real world? The deposit system has been completely hijacked by scammers. The internet is absolutely flooded with fake profiles using stolen photos, and their entire business model is tricking you into sending 50 bucks via some untraceable app, only to ghost you the second the payment clears. They count on the fact that you’ll be too embarrassed to call your bank or report it.
So yeah, while the top-tier, actual professionals might use deposits to protect themselves, it’s created a minefield for the rest of us. When nine out of ten people asking for an upfront transfer are just digital thieves sitting behind a screen overseas, treating a deposit request as an immediate red flag isn’t being cynical; it’s just basic self-defense.
Which makes me wonder: how does everyone else here actually trust their own screening skills when it comes to spotting a genuine ad and rolling the dice on a deposit? Surely no one’s track record is a perfect 100%. What’s your actual success rate, and what’s the one green flag that makes you feel safe enough to actually hit send?
