Was cmc ever "safe"?
Common sense should e enough to realize that cmc isn't reliable at all.
It's like wikipedia but with horrible advertising thrown in.

But, just like wikipedia, I find it to be an incredible resource.
Not to see the value of a coin (that has to be done at the actual exchange it is on).
But as a reference point to further research.
The most useful thing is to see the trading volume and where it is being traded.
For older coins, it is also very usefull to see the early trading history, before cmc got all corporate.

Other then that, meh. Or it is downright scammy.