If you are looking for trust in the online world, look at how eBay pioneered the ability to assign a trust level to their buyers and sellers.

As a result, sellers with lots of positive comments by their name, versus a new seller, routinely get 10 - 20% higher on their auction items. So, who works with others in public and gets high marks, versus someone else who stays mysterious and cloaked?

If you are seeking people you can trust, I would try to follow the same pattern, and use this as yardstick to guage the individuals with whom you choose to do business.

Steve