I was looking through my local version of gumtree and came across an ad that read very much like an escort agency recruiting ladies (had to be single, over 18, be outgoing, etc.).

Anyway, I emailed them and received the following form letter (I know this because I'd replied to a similar ad before and received the same email):

Hi,

Thank you for replying to our advert

We are an Escort Agency and the work involves meeting clients either in their hotel room or home for adult fun.. We are based in Berkshire but you will work in and around your own area.   

A normal booking is 1 hour and you receive ?130.   More time spent with a client means more money. Up to ?1200 for an overnight booking.       ?500 - ?1000 per week is easy to achieve. We currently have ladies who earn ?1000 plus each week.
You only have to work 8 hours a week to earn ?1000

Clients are mainly business men.   As our ladies will say, it is no different to a one night stand except you get paid.     This type of work is for those who are very serious about earning unlimited amounts of money.

You of course need an open mind and enjoy this type of work.  Aged 18 - 55.      You should be single as boyfriends / partners / husband do not mix with this business as you will understand

You work hours to suit yourself

You must be reliable, honest and easily contactable

If you are interested, please send a current full length photo of yourself

When replying, please provide your contact phone number
We realise that this work is not for everyone but, the rewards are very high if you think you could do it. 

Regards

petra

I remember reading somewhere to beware of agencies more interested in finding girls than clients. I found her through gumtree, of all places. Does this sound dodgy or suspicious to any of you? I'd sent her a picture of myself and included my name, but she replied with the form letter shown above without mentioning my name.  I've also never seen agencies that employed such a wide range of ages in their girls (18-55?). Also, isn't the booking price something a girl should normally have a say in?

I don't know. What do some of the more experienced ladies here think of this?

Thank you in advance.

I suspect it's more slightly clueless than scam.

It's waving less money at you (scams love their three hour / ?600 bookings), it's open about this being prostitution (many scams pretend there is a non-sexual escorting market), and it's only after women (scams want men's money too).

On the other hand, there's the age element which you mention and the implication that it doesn't matter which area you are in. More cluefull agencies tend not to mind about your relationship status either.

Do they have a site you can browse? They claim to be up and running...

The test will be, as ever, if they want money up front from you.

I would want to know the name of the Agency before I sent them any Photo's. Especially considering Gumtree is full of fraudsters and idiots in general.
For all you know, it could be one man sat in his bedroom working out ways of collecting as many pictures of women as possible. Stranger things have happened!
Love Alex x

Darn, I've already gone ahead and sent it! The more I think about this the more plausible it seems that it's just a man sitting behind his desk in his bedroom... ugh.

Google escort agencies in your area, and you should find something good.  Check the agency listings on Punterlink as well; they periodically de-list ones with fake pictures.  I wouldn't send ANY information to an agency via email until you've spoken to someone on the phone.  Agencies go out of business ALL the time.  This also gives you a better idea of what kind of an agency it is and whether you want to be associated with them.

 The fact that this bunch tell you not to have a relationship while escorting makes me suspicious though.  It's none of their business for one. For two, it seems to imply that they don't want you to have a support network.  Any promises of how much money you'll make are suspect as well.  How on earth would they know? 

Whoever is sending these emails is acting pretty suspicious:

I have not written to them since asking for a website address, and they have written back with:

"...as we have not heard back we assume you are no longer interested"

3 days later he/she writes again with:

"Hi just to let you know, we have now taken on a new lady for your area, thank you anyway"

Fishy as hell.

Fishy as hell.

More evidence of cluelessness, I'd say.

Look around here, and you'll find some lot offering the chance to be their escort covering the south coast. Why would potential clients want the choice of more than one?

I'm sorry I don't quite understand what you mean. Cluelessness on my part or this "agency"?

Them!