The Escort in London Survival Guide: How to Stay Safe and Smart in the World of Companionship

If you're working as an escort in London, you're not just offering company-you're navigating a high-risk, high-reward world where your safety is the only thing that matters. No one talks about it openly, but the truth is: thousands of people do this job every month. Some make good money. Others end up in trouble because they didn’t know the rules. This isn’t a guide to becoming an escort. It’s a survival guide for those already in it-or thinking about it-and want to make it out alive, sane, and in control.

Know the Law-Before You Say Yes to a Booking

London doesn’t criminalize prostitution itself, but almost everything around it does. Soliciting in a public place, kerb-crawling, running a brothel, or advertising sexual services online are all illegal. That means you can’t legally advertise on public forums, use your real name in ads, or meet clients in a place you control if more than one person is involved. Many escorts get caught not because they broke the law on purpose, but because they didn’t understand how thin the line is.

For example, posting on social media with phrases like "private meetings" or "discreet company" can get your account flagged and reported. Using terms like "companion," "time together," or "evening out" is safer-but even then, the Metropolitan Police have tools to scan for patterns. If you’re using a platform like OnlyFans or a personal website, make sure it doesn’t mention sex, services, or payment in exchange for time. Focus on companionship, conversation, or events. That’s legal. Anything else is a gamble.

Screening Clients Isn’t Optional-It’s Your First Line of Defense

You’ve probably heard the phrase "trust your gut." In this line of work, your gut is your only alarm system. A client who rushes you, refuses to video call first, or insists on meeting in a hotel they picked without letting you see the room? That’s a red flag. Real clients understand boundaries. They don’t pressure you.

Here’s what works: Always require a video call before any meeting. It doesn’t have to be long-just enough to see their face, hear their voice, and check the environment behind them. Are they alone? Is there a TV on? Are they in a car? Are they wearing a hoodie indoors? These aren’t paranoia-they’re data points. One escort in Camden told me she canceled a booking because the guy’s background showed a child’s toy in the corner. He said it was his nephew. She didn’t believe him. He later turned out to be a repeat offender with three prior arrests.

Use a screening form. Simple questions: What’s your full name? What do you do for work? Where are you meeting? What time? What are you hoping to get out of this? If they give vague answers, skip it. If they say "I just want to talk," but their profile says "looking for a quick hook-up," that’s a mismatch. Don’t force it.

Always Use a Check-In System

You’re not alone. Even if you work solo, you need someone who knows where you are and when you’ll be back. This isn’t about being controlled-it’s about being protected.

Set up a check-in system with a friend, colleague, or even a professional support group. Text them the client’s name (or alias), the location, the time you’re arriving, and the time you expect to leave. If you don’t check in within 15 minutes of your scheduled end time, they call the police. Simple. No drama. No guilt.

Some escorts use apps like SafeRide a safety app designed for sex workers that allows real-time location sharing and emergency alerts. Others use a basic Google Sheets template shared with trusted contacts. One woman in Notting Hill uses a locked phone with a pre-written text that says, "I’m fine, but if I don’t reply by 11 PM, call 999 and tell them I’m at the Hilton on Kensington High Street with a man named Mark." She sends it herself every time she leaves home. That’s how you stay safe.

Meet in Public First-Even If They Say They’ll Pay Extra

Never go straight to a hotel, Airbnb, or private flat on the first meeting. Always meet in a public place first-coffee shop, restaurant, bar. Even if they offer to pay you £500 extra to skip it, say no. Why? Because the first meeting is when most predators test boundaries. If they get angry, push back, or try to rush you, you’ve already filtered them out.

Meet in a place with cameras, staff, and other people around. Avoid places with back exits or dark corners. A Starbucks on Oxford Street is better than a quiet pub in Peckham. A hotel lobby with a 24-hour reception is acceptable if you’re confident about the location. But never, ever go to a place you haven’t researched. Google the address. Look at street view. Check reviews. If the building has no name, no sign, or no visible entrance, walk away.

Carry Minimal Cash, Use Digital Payments, and Never Share Bank Details

Cash is dangerous. It makes you a target. But so is giving out your bank account. The solution? Use digital payment tools that protect your identity.

PayPal is risky-many clients use fake accounts and dispute charges after the fact. Venmo doesn’t work in the UK. The best option? Revolut or Wise. Create a separate business account under a pseudonym. Link it to a prepaid debit card you only use for this purpose. Clients pay you via bank transfer to that account. You withdraw cash only if needed, and only in small amounts. Never give your personal bank details. Ever.

Some escorts use cryptocurrency, but that’s complicated and irreversible. Stick with regulated, traceable, reversible payment methods. And always confirm payment before you leave the public meeting. If they say "I’ll pay you at the hotel," that’s a trap. Pay first. Always.

Know Your Rights-And Who to Call

If something goes wrong-if you’re threatened, assaulted, or robbed-you have rights. You don’t have to be a victim because you’re an escort. The police can help, even if you’re working in a legal gray area.

Call 999 if you’re in immediate danger. If you’re not in danger but need advice, contact Sisters Uncut a UK-based feminist organization that supports sex workers with safety resources and legal advice or The English Collective of Prostitutes a long-standing advocacy group offering peer support and legal guidance for sex workers in London. They’ve helped hundreds of women navigate police reports, eviction threats, and online harassment. They don’t judge. They don’t ask for your real name. They just help.

Keep a list of emergency contacts in your phone under a fake name. Include numbers for these groups, a trusted friend, and a lawyer who specializes in sex worker rights. Save them in case your phone is taken or stolen.

Don’t Let the Job Define You

This work can be isolating. You’re told to be charming, attentive, and always on. But you’re not a service robot. You’re a person with boundaries, needs, and limits.

Set clear rules: No drugs. No alcohol on the job. No extra services beyond what you agreed to. No second meetings with the same person unless you want to. No working more than three nights a week. No letting clients know where you live. No sharing photos of yourself outside work. These aren’t restrictions-they’re your armor.

Take time off. Go to a museum. Watch a movie alone. Call your sister. Sleep. Burnout is real. Depression is common. Many escorts quit because they lost themselves, not because they got caught.

Build a Network-You’re Not Supposed to Do This Alone

There’s a myth that escorts are lone wolves. That’s not true. The most successful ones have a small circle-other workers they trust. They swap client warnings. They share safe locations. They check in on each other.

Find a private online forum or encrypted group (Signal or Telegram) for London-based companions. Not public Reddit threads. Not Facebook groups. Something encrypted. Someone in that group might have worked with the same client you’re about to meet. They’ll warn you. That’s how you avoid danger before it happens.

One escort I spoke with said she saved her life because a woman in her group said, "Don’t meet this guy-he’s been asking about you for weeks." That client later turned out to be a stalker who’d targeted three other women. They never met. Because someone else spoke up.

When to Quit-And How to Leave Gracefully

Not everyone stays in this work forever. Some leave after a few months. Others stay for years. But you should always have an exit plan.

Signs it’s time to go: You’re scared more than you’re excited. You’re lying to your family. You’re using drugs to cope. You can’t remember the last time you had a real conversation with someone who didn’t pay you. Those aren’t signs you’re weak. They’re signs you’re human.

Leaving doesn’t mean you failed. It means you chose yourself. You can transition into other work-writing, coaching, modeling, therapy, even starting a business. Many former escorts become mentors, consultants, or advocates. Your experience is valuable. You don’t have to hide it.

Start saving money now. Even £50 a week adds up. Build a backup plan. Learn a skill. Talk to someone who’s made the transition. You’re not trapped. You’re just in a chapter-not the whole book.

If you’re thinking about this work, or already doing it-remember this: your safety isn’t negotiable. Your boundaries aren’t weak. Your worth isn’t tied to what someone pays you. You’re not a statistic. You’re a person with choices-and the right to make them without fear.