Well, considering you have to take expensive equipment with you, I don't think its funny that you are abit hesistant on meeting people you have never seen before and no assurance of thier legitimacy as musicians. However, you have to take risks. My advice is to meet them in a public place while keeping your equipment at a "safe" distance.
To assure your wife you're going to be ok (and to also get the job done faster), get a friend who is also into recording to be your assistant. That way, they'll think twice on jumping you and running off with your equipment.
PS- if you want to be really safe, Wear a leather jacket with a bloodstained a Devourment or (insert porno/gore/death grind band name here) T-shirt and get a pitbull to join your posse. I bet they won't fuck around then.
No but seriously, I'm sure that if you do your research well you wouldn't run into problems. After all, it is your precious equipment on the line and I don't blame you for being cautious.