From what I've gathered as a newbie i should only stick with well reviewed providers.  For where i am at that is kinda limited, there is a few but not many, i don't live in a major metropolis.  I have noticed on backpage and sipsap many providers that are traveling through my area but finding any reviews has been difficult.  I have tried to do my homework a little bit, like checking for their ads in neighboring cities and i can kind of track their circuit.  Not extremely helpful but better than nothing.  What i was wondering is if there were any clues to the ad that are signs of its relatively safe or huge red flags.  I figure if its the same pics but different numbers on an ad that is probably not a good sign, or maybe I am wrong.  Obviously i understand nothing is a guarantee, but i could use some help with hedging my risk by knowing what to look for and what not to.  

thanks for any help