Got any stats? I've bought and sold on CL without any problems at all.
As have I. The media love these CL murder stories because they loath Craig's List and the damage it's done to want-ad revenues.
Like anything else in life, situational awareness is called for. If the ad sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If the buyer or seller on the other end of the phone is speaking in an incomprehensible ebonics babble (as these two geniuses surely were), red lights should start flashing. If your GPS is taking you to the ghetto, red lights should start flashing.
I'm guessing there were many voices in the back of Vester's head telling him something didn't seem right and he chose to ignore them.