Almost everyone seem to know someone that they can trust, I pity you guys because it's like you are all living in a different world, you don't listen to news and things happening around the world atleast?
I pity those who don't have anyone around that they can trust. Don't get me wrong, you should be extremely careful when dealing with IRL birtcoin transaction, but to be in constant fear and paranoid about it? No thnx.
I personally did dozens of such transactions and had no issues so far. Having said that, I am very careful who I am dealing with+luckily I live in a country with one of the lowest crime rates in the world which probably also helps.