OnlyFans ‘managers’ take advantage of creators, BBC finds

OnlyFans isn’t doing enough to protect creators from exploitation, according to an investigation from the BBC, which includes interviews from 60 UK OnlyFans creators, human rights experts, and lawyers.

The report focused on OnlyFans “agents,” “managers,” or “OFMs” (OnlyFans management) who allegedly take control of creators’ accounts and earnings. It’s also subject to a BBC Three documentary, OnlyFans: Inside the Machine.

OFMs claim to help creators become more successful and gain an audience and subscribers, but experts say they actually take advantage of creators.

OFM contracts shown to the BBC show that management takes up to 70 percent of creators’ earnings, while the platform itself takes 20 percent. Several creators who spoke to the BBC said their managers lied about earnings in order to get more money themselves, with a couple claiming their managers changed the password to their OnlyFans account and bank account details, respectively.

Managers have also threatened creators with bodily harm, with one creator believing a physical attack was connected to her manager.

An OnlyFans spokesperson told the BBC that, “The allegation we ‘turn a blind eye’ [to these issues] is unfounded.”

The spokesperson continued, “OnlyFans’ relationship is with our creators and fans and we are not connected with, and do not endorse, any third parties including management agencies.”

OnlyFans takes user safety “incredibly seriously,” and invests in protection measures and meets its duties under the UK’s Online Safety Act, the spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, we cannot review or influence any contractual relationships creators choose to enter into outside the platform as we are not party to them.

“If anyone raises a concern about a Creator’s account, we will immediately restrict the account, conduct an investigation and take action to ensure the Creator is in control of their OnlyFans account,” an OnlyFans spokesperson told Mashable.
 
“Despite repeated requests, the BBC refused to share account details of any OnlyFans users or the agencies that they claimed formed the basis of their reporting,” the spokesperson added.

UK’s anti-slavery commissioner, Eleanor Lyons, told the BBC that the cases of exploitation that have been reported but not properly acted on “raises serious concerns about whether OnlyFans is meeting its legal duties to protect users.” She is engaging with the UK communications regulator, Ofcom, which also stated that the BBC’s findings were “deeply concerning.”

Last year, a lawsuit against OnlyFans claimed that subscribers believed they were direct messaging with creators, but were actually scammed by management pretending to be them. The lawsuit was dismissed in Dec. 2025.

UPDATE: Jun. 16, 2026, 12:48 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with a statement from OnlyFans to Mashable.