You won't get played if you only buy from reputable and known breeders. Doesn't matter if they are small time breeders like me, or the big guys like NERD, doing your homework on the seller will keep you from getting cheated.

I personally won't buy from anyone that I can't find references on. The BOI on fauna, their trader ratings, this forum here has an area for buyer/seller feedback. Even in Facebook there are plenty of reptile oriented groups where everyone knows everyone else and they always post about their purchases and sales. Not just the classifieds sections either. There are a lot of regional groups for reptiles so you should see if there is one geared towards your area.

When all else fails and you are not sure if a snake is what it's supposed to be, check world of ball pythons. If its not on there, and chances are it is, then we are here to help.