I totally agree with all the points. It's really sad to see people sending money to newbies with 5 posts without a reputation check - and then being surprised that they were left without a service or product.I just realised I never finished the second sentence in the "first commandment". It's supposed to say the following:
Sorry, I actually write these guides over the course of a month in notepad, so sometimes I end up with errors when I copy and paste certain parts into Black Hat World.
- Always Research Anyone You're Planning To Do Business With. It doesn't matter if they're a Jr. VIP, Jr. Executive VIP, or even a moderator! What you uncover during your search could not only save you from getting scammed, but it can save other people as well.
I usually assume that a lot of those people are new to forums, so they don't know any better (of course, that's no excuse). I've noticed several new members state that they don't even notice thread dates, user stats, or even user titles in some cases.
You forgot number 4 and number 5.
4. Don't send as friends and family.
5.And... Uh... Oh, right... Don't send as friends and family.
https://puningroup.com/vacancy/administrator/
I also agree about the payment method: never send "friends & family" unless it's a real close person. If the seller insists - that's a red flag.
There's nothing wrong with spending a little time looking at the user's profile, date and activity on the topic. It can literally save you hundreds of dollars and nerves.