I sold a shotgun to a new member, had 1 post responding to an older classified. But he gave me his cell number, we spoke on the phone at some length, and he was willing to jump through the hoops I gave him to verify he was legit. Most new members joined for the same reason most of us did. Unfortunately, the bad apples make everyone a bit cynical. There's been a few scammers that took the time to no longer be "new" before they ripped someone off. So it's always in your best interest to vet someone before you put your money out. Direct phone calls seem to be the most effective to separate the legit from the thieves when there's any question.