Yes, newbies should always check into things thoroughly, especially when it involves sending bitcoins.

Unlike so many other places asking for bitcoins, the people in this case have a presence in the WoT, so it is easy to check up on them. Just find the people who have rated them in the WoT, and verify the history. If you do not trust any of the raters in the WoT, check their trust by asking their raters, until you find someone you do trust (that is how the WoT works). If you have not interacted with any of these WoT nodes, then do not send any bitcoins. Instead, get involved in bitcoin and check back later (bitcoin is still so small, it should not take long for your trust web to expand to include major players such as the people running and listed on MPEx).