Client Screening: How to Screen Clients and Stay Safe

Today I want to talk about safety and escort screening. Honestly, this might be the most important part of the job. How do you tell if the person messaging you and wanting to spend time with you is a normal person and not a creep? Will they respect your boundaries? Will they try to get out of paying when it’s time? That’s what we’re going to talk about today.

What is escort screening?

Screening is when you, the provider, check out the person who’s asking to meet you. It can include:

• A FaceTime or other video call
• A selfie
• A photo of their business card
• An ID, like a driver’s license or passport
• A LinkedIn profile or other social media

Or all of the above.

Client reviews make screening easier

To make screening easier, we did something on EscortCrush that many sites don’t: providers can review clients too. If someone has even one review from a provider, the chances that you’re talking to a decent, respectful person go way up.

Phone lookup services: helpful, but not enough

There are also paid services like Whitepages, where you can type in a client’s phone number and see what comes up. But very often clients use VoIP numbers, internet numbers like Google Voice, and there’s no information on those at all. Even when you do find an address and other details, that’s helpful, of course. But I’d still use every screening method I listed above.

Red flags to watch for

Some people show you who they are before you ever meet. Be careful if a client:

• Refuses any screening or gets annoyed when you ask
• Haggles over your rate
• Pushes your boundaries in messages or keeps asking for things you already said no to
• Sends explicit messages or photos you didn’t ask for
• Rushes you to meet right now
• Changes the address or plans at the last minute
• Asks too many questions about your real name, where you live or your personal life

If someone is rude in messages, it won’t get better in person. One red flag doesn’t always mean danger, but two or three together are a reason to say no.

Incall safety: where to host

If you’re hosting, I’d recommend a hotel or an apartment building with security and cameras at the entrance. When I was working, I loved renting apartments from Sonder. It was kind of like Airbnb, except you rented from a company instead of a person. So much easier and nicer than Airbnb. Sonder shut down in 2025, but extended-stay hotels and serviced apartments with a front desk are the closest thing now.

Outcall safety: let the client pay for your ride

If it’s an outcall, the client should order your Uber and send you a screenshot and the trip link. Never order it yourself. It happens all the time: you get there, and nobody’s there. You’ve wasted your time and your money.

Always get the exact address so you can check what kind of area it is. What if it’s some house in the woods? If you’ve screened properly and the client has reviews on EscortCrush, then fine. But if it’s someone you can’t figure out, living in a sketchy neighborhood or out in the woods somewhere, I strongly recommend you skip it.

Always let a friend know where you’re going

If you have even the smallest doubt, always let a friend know where you’re going. Honestly, I’d make it a habit for every date. Send your friend:

• The client’s name and profile link or number
• The exact address
• What time you start and when you’ll be done

Agree on a time to check in and on what she’ll do if she doesn’t hear from you. Come up with a code word too, something that means “call me now” or “come get me.” And turn on live location sharing on your phone for the time you’re there.

Should you take a deposit?

Lots of providers take deposits, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I didn’t. It just never felt comfortable for me. That doesn’t mean you can’t. You should respect your time, and if clients cancel on you a lot, it might be worth thinking about. Just know that deposits scare off a lot of clients, especially when they’re seeing you for the first time.

Get paid before your time starts

I really recommend getting paid before your time together starts. If you wait until after, it gets much more awkward to bring up money, and a lot of people conveniently “forget.”

Stay alert during the date

• Keep your phone charged and with you, not in another room.
• Don’t drink from a glass you left unattended. Pour it yourself or watch it being poured.
• If someone else is there who wasn’t part of the plan, leave. You don’t owe anyone an explanation.
• Keep your bag and keys close, and know where the exit is.

Keep your phone number private

On EscortCrush, we built everything so you never have to share your phone number. You can just talk in our secure chat. If you need a client to send you photos or videos, you can do that here too. Ask them to record a live video or a voice message. Live videos are recorded right then and there, so no one can pull an old video from their camera roll. It’s simply not possible. That’s why I strongly recommend not using your number at all and telling clients you’re only available through EscortCrush messenger.

If you’d still rather get texts, use a VoIP service that gives you your own number for about $5 to $10 a month. That way you can text safely and anonymously.

Why clients get reviews on EscortCrush too

It always surprised me that on so many sites only providers get reviewed and clients never do. Honestly, I’m not even a big fan of reviews. Sometimes a client pressures you to do something, or threatens to leave a bad review if you don’t. We’re completely against that.

But you can’t have a truly safe platform with no reviews at all, so we tried to find a middle ground. That’s why providers can review clients too. And clients who want to build a reputation can show their reviews and skip the heavy screening.

You and a client can review each other in two ways:

1. Sign up, find the provider or client, and leave a review.
2. Both confirm in the chat that you met. Then the review gets a Meeting Confirmed badge.

What if someone leaves a review to hurt me?

If someone uses a review to pressure you, get back at you for saying no, or make false claims about you, please contact support. Our team will look into what happened and remove the review if we confirm abuse or retaliation.

Most of us used to be providers, so this is personal for us. You should feel comfortable setting your boundaries and know we’ve got your back 🤍

Always trust your gut

I hope this gave you a better idea of how to stay safe in this industry. But always listen to your gut. If something feels off, leave right away or call 911.

We want EscortCrush to be a place where both sides feel as safe as possible. We keep growing, and we’ll keep adding updates and improving the site. If you have ideas, please write to us. There are lots of ways to reach us, and we always reply. And if you just want to talk something through, you can always message us too.

If you’re new to this work, read our guide on how to become an escort. And if you’re not on EscortCrush yet, create your free profile.