This is a great question and one that I think everyone who has been involved in this world thinks about. My personal experience has included a few scams. The one that was the most involved was a provider contacted through AdultWork who offered a discount for pre-payment on a session; all the communication was through the app messaging. It was only after I sent a funds transfer for one hour at the discounted rate and she then proposed another deal, an up-sell of an even longer session at an even lower hourly rate that I became suspicious. From there, I realized the photos were clearly photoshopped and I reported the profile and blocked the account. Lesson: dont use a site like that. Or only contact through a personally dedicated site that provides a direct email or phone.

A better rule of thumb, I think, is to only seek to see a Domme who requires references or other verification. No one looking to pull of a quick smash-and-grab scam would go to the bother of references or verification, because the time it takes to arrange actually prevents heat-of-the-moment mistakes such as the one I described above.

Finally, I once encountered a more elaborate scam for which I did not fall. I responded actually to a vanilla profile on a dating site (I dont recall which) and the scammer not only responded at length but even paid a small bit to send me a virtual gift (an upsell on the site). I dont know if there was something I said or it was the scam all along but the scammer then expressed interest in D/s. The messaging became explicit including exchange of photos and audio files. After probably two weeks of this, the scammer wrote that "she" would be visiting my city (not unusual; its a bit city that attracts a lot of travelers). I proposed a dinner date and the scammer agreed but suggested also I book a space for a play time. Then directed me to a website advertising a private home full of equipped rooms of all sorts for rental. The rates were high but not outrageous and the location was at least plausible. But I had never heard of it and looked into it. I quickly discovered that photos were all pilfered from other places and the kicker was that the site was registered to someone by the poetic name of "Silva Camero."

Because the site was registered in another state, I reported it to the FCC! I went back a few weeks later to see and it was down.

Astonishing amount of effort had gone into the lure and the actual ask was for a relatively modest amount; moreover the payoff was so attenuated that I actually think it wasnt so much a monetary scam as someone with a particularly unique fetish of online trickery...

It takes all types to make the world go round.

Be safe,