it is hard to trust anybody anymore these days. i would never give anybody any loan without any collateral no matter how much good history they have got. especially on BTCjam, the trust service and any kind of verification that they have got, is not a 100% grantee that you dont lose money to a scammer.
with collateral at least you know that your money is safe.
I personally borrowed the money a couple of times at the other site. Small amounts. I did not know etih people but we talked a lot on the network and have a great rating. I was 100% sure that I give. I knew that they cherish his name and his nickname.
There are times when urgently needed money.
Yes, it is difficult to trust someone, but there are still honest people.