IllicitEncounters
In short: Illicit Encounters is a UK dating site for married and attached adults seeking discreet affairs. It trades under Online Tech Support Ltd, a London-registered company, and covers the UK and Ireland. It claims over 1.8 million UK members. For the industry, it is a long-running British independent in the affair category, where Ashley Madison is a named rival.
Key facts
| Type | Dating app |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Status | Operating |
| Website | illicitencounters.com |
| Operating company | Online Tech Support Ltd, trading as Illicit Encounters [Contact Support, 2026] |
| Company number and registered office | Company number 06419336; registered office 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE [Help and FAQs, 2026] |
| Headquarters | London, England, United Kingdom [Illicit Encounters - Crunchbase Company Profile, 2026] |
| Category and market | Dating site for married and attached adults seeking discreet affairs, serving the UK and Ireland [About Illicit Encounters, 2026] |
| Claimed membership | Over 1.8 million UK members since 2004 (company claim) [Married Dating UK, 2026] |
| Founding year (company statement) | Company says founded in 2004; older company blog and third-party sources say 2003 [About Illicit Encounters, 2026] |
| Founder | Stephen Lines, named as founder in third-party coverage [Illicit Encounters Has Become a Leading Married-Dating Site , 10 December 2018] |
| Origins | Launched as a general singles site, later revamped to serve married and attached daters [Illicit Encounters Has Become a Leading Married-Dating Site , 10 December 2018] |
| Data protection registration | ICO registration number Z1614409 [Help and FAQs, 2026] |
About IllicitEncounters
Illicit Encounters is a dating website for married and attached adults who want discreet relationships outside their current partnership. It describes itself as the UK's largest and longest-running married dating site and says it covers the UK and Ireland. Its home page claims more than 1.8 million UK members since launch. These are the company's own figures and have not been independently verified. Its site says it is not part of a multinational group and does not share members with sister sites.
The service is run by Online Tech Support Ltd, which trades as Illicit Encounters. The company's help page lists it as data controller, with company number 06419336 and a registered office at 86 to 90 Paul Street, London. Third-party coverage names Stephen Lines as founder, and one review site describes him as owner. The site's own pages give a founding year of 2004, while its older blog and several outside sources say 2003, so the launch date is not settled. The site says it began as a general singles site and later moved to the married market.
Members can join and set up a profile free of charge, and the site says anonymous profiles, discreet billing and private messaging are built in. The site's own pages say payment is needed to send messages, and that women have been offered free access in the past. Prices quoted across its pages and third-party reviews differ, so none are given here. Crunchbase lists it as a private company with a small team. In the affair category, DII has named it as a competitor to Ashley Madison.
Also mentioned in
Questions about IllicitEncounters
What is Illicit Encounters?
A UK dating site for married and attached adults who want discreet affairs. It serves the UK and Ireland.
Who operates Illicit Encounters?
Online Tech Support Ltd, company number 06419336, trading as Illicit Encounters, with a registered office in London.
When was Illicit Encounters founded?
Sources differ. The site's current pages say 2004, while its older blog and several third-party sources say 2003.
Is Illicit Encounters free?
Joining and setting up a profile is free. The site says payment is needed to send messages.
What is IllicitEncounters?
Illicit Encounters is a UK dating site for married and attached adults seeking discreet affairs. It trades under Online Tech Support Ltd, a London-registered company, and covers the UK and Ireland. It claims over 1.8 million UK members.
Where is IllicitEncounters based?
IllicitEncounters is based in London, United Kingdom.
Also known as: IE, IllicitEncounters.com.