Catherine De Noire, a sex industry professional with 10 years of experience including running her own OnlyFans account, receives agency approaches weekly. In response to a recent Guardian article on predatory OnlyFans managers, she highlights warning signs creators can spot before signing contracts.
Covert recruitment tactics
Agencies no longer always approach creators directly. Instead, they manage existing creators' accounts and write to potential recruits pretending to be them. For example, a woman with 200 followers may receive a message from what appears to be a celebrity with 300,000 followers, complimenting her and asking if she has considered OnlyFans. That “celebrity” is an agency employee. This is the first red flag most women never recognize as one.
Contract warning signs
Contracts often contain explicit red flags: presented in parts with a second section revealed only after signing; disproportionate exit penalties; vague payment terms such as “a flat fee of €2,000 per month, then a percentage” without specifying duration or conditions; and pressure to sign immediately without consulting a lawyer or showing it to anyone else. Agencies that refuse to negotiate contract terms or discourage legal review are not acting in good faith.
De Noire emphasizes that readers would be better protected not just by knowing exploitation exists, but by recognizing what it looks like at the very beginning—before the contract is signed and before control begins.
