Prostitution Scams in Las Vegas

Apr 11, 2021Blog, Legal Tips

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Until it doesn’t. You had one of those nights, and went and hired an illegal hooker.

Except then it got worse; maybe they stole your wallet or phone while you were asleep or, worst of all, set you up for blackmail and extortion. As prostitution is not legal in Las Vegas proper, it’s fairly common for illegal hookers to be involved in other criminal activity. You are better off catching a ride out to a legal brothel in another county.

Here are some of the common Prostitution Scams that you need to avoid:

Trick Rolling

This is the simple one. Somebody pretends to be a sex worker, lets you take them up to your room, suggests a shower to freshen up…and then absconds with anything of value.

Or, worse, she lures you to her room, where you might be mugged or drugged. Either way, the goal is to relieve you of your cash, and possibly your phone and other valuables.

The best way to avoid this is, again, to go to a legal brothel in a nearby county. If you absolutely must pay for companionship, make sure you do it right. Additionally, casinos are now using facial recognition to identify both real prostitutes and fake ones, and often security will warn you about a specific person. If they tell you you are at risk of being shaken down, believe them; the casinos have been trying to deal with the prostitution problem for a while (and it’s also not in their interest for you to be robbed on their premises).

Fake Prostitutes

In 2012, a British tourist was seriously hurt after an altercation at a reflexology spa which was pretending to be a brothel. Female employees would dress (in)appropriately and take large amounts of money from visitors who thought they were paying for sex.

They generally targeted people impaired by alcohol and drugs. Patrons would be tricked into signing an agreement acknowledging they know that it’s illegal, then lured into paying even more.

Again, your best option is always to go to a legal or regulated brothel. Also, try to keep your alcohol and drug consumption under control so you aren’t wandering around the Strip impaired (which can also make you vulnerable to pickpockets and other crimes).

Street Cards

In this situation, somebody gives you a card advertising an “escort.” In most cases, the fees just indicate what you’ll pay for the woman to show up, without advertising any other services.

This could be a scam, a trick roll, or a way to get new tourists who don’t know prostitution is illegal. Either way, you should not take the card and if you do end up with one, don’t call the number. Throw it away (or keep it as a souvenir). Many of the handbillers are undocumented and paid well below minimum wage, so it’s best to refuse to take the cards altogether.

Extortion and Blackmail

It’s rarer, but far from unknown for prostitutes to record sexual encounters and then attempt to extort money from customers. Generally, this takes the form of a “sextortion” scam. The hooker threatens to post the recording on the internet or sell it to porn sites if you don’t pay up. This has also happened in other areas, but Las Vegas’ reputation means that more people are looking for prostitutes. This makes it a great place for extortion rings to operate.

In some cases, an illegal prostitute might also see this as a way to get a lot of money out of the john. Needless to say, men visiting male prostitutes are often at higher risk.

Las Vegas police have been cracking down on this kind of thing, especially trick rolling. Trick rolling constitutes larceny if they did not use force and robbery if they did. Many of these crimes go unreported because people are too embarrassed to admit to what happened, or because they are afraid of being arrested themselves.

If you were the victim of a prostitution scam in Vegas, you need a good lawyer to help you out. And if the worst happens and you are arrested for hiring a prostitute, contact 8-Ball Bail Bonds to see how we can help you avoid spending time in jail.