not if she is well established and well reviewed, and depending on how much she is asking for.
its easy to forget that we guys are not the only ones who get messed around, let down, get no-shows etc etc. it happens to the ladies big time too!! Heck, some /many restaurants ask for a deposit if you make an advance booking, do you not go to those?
It's true that SPs get messed around too, no argument with that.
But the vast majority still don't take deposits.
And it doesn't detract from the fact that deposits are a warning sign, especially for non-established SPs.
The difference is that restaurants can't change their names and don't rent out apartments and move every couple of weeks, which is what the scammers do (and many non-scammer SPs too to be fair). If you've fluidity of movement, you can get away with a lot of things once you've someone's money. Restaurants can't do that, and reputationally cannot afford to do that.
Same with lawyers, banks, etc.
Different operating model dictates how trustworthy leaving a deposit with someone is.
