[Colin F]

Originally Posted by chet

Yes a nudge wink and a handshake should be good enough, but users who rip others off just put a seed of doubt in your mind, it spoils it for the good coders out there, I for one will not be asking for service requests anymore, I'm too scared

You don't have to be too scared, just being a bit more careful can be enough.

Ask for references and CHECK them!
Search the forums for posts of that user.
Search the forums for that users username.
Decide on a way of paying which protects both the client and the coder.
I generally accept payment *after* the project, but I'm wary as well if the client doesn't give me the url to his forums, or any other information.
For big projects, agree on partial payments, the first being after a part is coded. If a client isn't willing to pay, he's generally not willing to pay at all!

And, if you're still unsure, ask what kind of experience other users have had with that coder!