new here but why aren't more people certified??
There's not really a lot of spam. When it happens, it's almost always a new profile, ostensibly of a young woman, asking you to e-mail "her" or visit "her" website, said profile being copiously flagged and removed in a day or two. More common are profiles, again ostensibly of young women, who interact in a somewhat more normal way, but who are really mostly guys looking for pics or sexy talk, occasionally women angling for money. You will note that the certification rates for young women on the site are particularly low.
That said, most of the uncertified folks on here are perfectly genuine, and either just haven't bothered or have reservations or technical issues about sending in the required photos.
I tried to get certified and was accepted, but two days later suddenly deleted from it for some nonsense technical excuse. I decided it wasn't worth a second attempt since the benefits are so minimal and it means next to nothing.