Something fishy going on or am I being paranoid?

[Transplanted2tex]

In the past few weeks, I've noticed a surge in new TGTBT providers on BP, which was mentioned in this thread:
http://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=52599

2 suspected local stings:
http://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=49024
http://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=50920

and a confirmed sting:
http://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=41581

There's also the "Houston Social" incident and untold other alert threads on the Texas boards.

I'm not one of those conspiracy theorists watching out for the "black helicopters", but I do worry about unmarked vans full of LE or Chris Hansen waiting for me inside the bedroom instead of a beautiful lady. Okay, maybe I don't worry too much about being on Dateline, but you get what I'm saying. I'm still relatively new to Texas and unfamiliar with local politics and the trends they influence, so is this typically what happens when things are, or about to get hot with LE? And I know that sticking to well-known ECCIE providers greatly reduces our risks as hobbyists, but are there clues that a provider has been "flipped"? Also, can LE use nudity in their fake online ads, and what can/can't a decoy provider do while in your presence(show nudity)? Post replies or pm me with constructive comments or to tell me I'm just being paranoid.

[npita]

Originally Posted by Transplanted2tex

And I know that sticking to well-known ECCIE providers greatly reduces our risks as hobbyists, but are there clues that a provider has been "flipped"?

Yeah. You should suspect something if she puts you in handcuffs but doesn't give you a safe word.