I may have to steal that from you and use it one day.Alan the article is from 2015. 

I did drive by and the foundation around the garage "seems" to be level from what I could see, so I'm hoping it is just a crooked garage door, but who knows.

Hitting up new owners who got a steal in this market is not the best use of time.

So how do I know if my traffic is from fellow investors stealing all my secrets or from actual motivated sellers?

Are you stealing their equity as the investor?

But they aren’t all crooks, it can be done ethically and legally, and fill a gap in the market, helping seller’s unload houses that most any real estate agent would turn their nose up at. 

They just steal your money.

That said, if these are local leads go meet with them in person, that will help a lot with putting them at ease that you really are looking to help them not just some shady character on the net trying to steal their house.If they have a realtor the realtor will do everything they can to talk them out of selling to you. #1 because the realtor thinks they're not going to get paid.

I once googled a potential borrower who I quickly discovered had been arrested a few years prior for stealing 40 cattle in the rural midwest lol

The only issue I have is when people say things like, "All wholesalers are sleazy unethical monsters that steal money from sweet little old ladies."