It's not a trap -- there is no way EBay can provide all of the necessary information that would stop people from getting scammed since someone would simply try

It's not a trap -- there is no way EBay can provide all of the necessary information that would stop people from getting scammed since someone would simply try a new trick that wasn't listed in the documentation. It isn't simply "trial by fire," but suspicious until proven otherwise, a general tact that works well on the internet and among strangers that want your money. Anyways, most of this is common sense. Examine the number of positive reviews in the past six months. Examine the ratio of positive to negative. Examine the nature of negative reviews. If buying something expensive, verify some other items sold were also expensive. Buy via paypal or something else that includes buyer protection. People will have to learn the same sort of way to navigate airbnb.