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Staying safe on Black Book of Sex

What the site does for you, what it leaves to you, and who to call when something goes wrong.

By the Black Book of Sex editorial teamUpdated · 3 min read

In short

Black Book of Sex reviews every photo but doesn't check what members write about themselves, so treat each profile as a claim rather than a fact. Keep chat on the site until you've met, never send money, and report scams to Report Fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the FTC in the US, or Scamwatch in Australia.

Key facts
Emergency999 (UK), 911 (US), 000 (Australia)
Scams: England, Wales, NIReport Fraud, 0300 123 2040
Scams: ScotlandPolice Scotland, 101
Scams: USReportFraud.ftc.gov
Scams: AustraliaScamwatch; ReportCyber if money or data was lost

What the site checks, and what it leaves to you

Black Book of Sex reviews every photo, and that is the extent of it. What members write about themselves (age, location, relationship status, what they want) is not checked by anyone, and ID verification is an optional paid badge rather than a requirement. Profiles are also shared with partner sites in the same network, so the person messaging you may have joined somewhere else.

None of this makes the site unusual. It does mean the useful safety work is yours: a little scepticism, a slow first week, and a public first meeting.

The scams worth knowing by sight

A romance scam is a fake relationship built to get money or personal details out of you. Report Fraud received 10,784 reports of romance fraud in 2025, with losses of more than £102 million, and the scripts behind them are few:

  • The money request. A sudden emergency, a stuck payment, a ticket to come and see you. Anyone asking for money, gift cards or crypto before you've met is running a scam, however long you've been talking.
  • The investment tip. Friendly chat that drifts towards a trading app or a "sure thing".
  • The off-site check. A request to "verify" yourself on another website that wants card details. Close it.
  • The rush. Pressure to leave the members area for another app within minutes, or to send photos before you've met.
  • The camera that never works. Always a reason not to video call.

If someone threatens to share images

Sextortion is blackmail with intimate images: a threat to share them unless you pay or send more. Report Fraud's advice is not to pay, because paying rarely ends the demands. Instead:

  1. Stop replying and don't send anything else.
  2. Keep the evidence: screenshots of the profile, messages and any payment details.
  3. Report the profile through the members help centre.
  4. Contact the police: 101 in the UK, or 999 if you're at immediate risk.
  5. Get help with the images. In the UK, the Revenge Porn Helpline supports adults whose intimate images have been shared or threatened. StopNCII.org creates a digital fingerprint of an image on your own device so participating platforms can block it. In Australia, the eSafety Commissioner handles image-based abuse reports.

The shame belongs to the person making the threat, not to you.

Where to report a scam

Report the profile to the site first, then to the official body for where you live. Use the members help centre with the member's username and screenshots. If you've paid anything, call your bank or card issuer straight away; in the UK, 159 connects you to most major banks' fraud lines. Then:

Where you live Report to
England, Wales, Northern Ireland Report Fraud, online or on 0300 123 2040 (it replaced Action Fraud in December 2025)
Scotland Police Scotland on 101
United States The FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Australia ReportCyber if you lost money or personal information; otherwise Scamwatch

If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999 in the UK, 911 in the US or 000 in Australia.

Meet the first time somewhere busy, tell a friend where you'll be, and keep your own way home. Agreeing to meet is not agreeing to anything else, and either of you can call it a night at any point. Our guide to meeting a casual date safely covers the before, during and after, including spiking, free sexual health care and support after an assault.

Keeping it private

Discretion is part of safety. A profile with your surname or workplace is a profile someone can use to find you. Our guide to keeping casual dating private covers profiles, photos, phones and statements, and how casual dating sites work explains why members from partner sites appear in your results. To report a member or a problem with your account, see contact.

Questions people ask

Is Action Fraud still the place to report?

No. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Report Fraud replaced Action Fraud on 4 December 2025, and reports now go to reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, report fraud to Police Scotland on 101, or 999 if a crime is happening now.

Someone says they'll share my photos unless I pay. What do I do?

Don't pay and don't send anything more; paying rarely ends it. Keep the messages, stop replying, report the profile through the members help centre and contact the police. The Revenge Porn Helpline supports adults in the UK, StopNCII.org can help block images on participating platforms, and in Australia the eSafety Commissioner takes reports.

Does an ID badge mean someone is safe?

No. The optional badge means someone passed a check comparing a photo ID with a selfie, so they probably look like their ID. It says nothing about their intentions, their relationship status or whether the rest of their profile is true. Use it as one small piece of information, and still do a video call and meet in public.

Should I report a profile even if I didn't lose anything?

Yes. Report it through the members help centre with the username and screenshots, so the profile can be looked at before it reaches someone else. If it was an attempted scam, report that too: the FTC and Scamwatch both ask for reports even when nobody lost money, because the details help them spot patterns and warn others.

Keep reading

Sources

Checked 18 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.