If it’s a first time meet for me the “donation “ is always out in plain sight somewhere, bills fanned out so a quick scan confirms it’s all there. A minuscule amount of guys have grabbed it at the onset.
Yes there are scammers, but my take on it is that escorts get scammer clients also, frequently. So asking for money upfront may be a problem, or just a way for an escort to verify YOU are the real deal.