This is more than likely the case. Even though you cannot lure new players still could just as easily accidently walk out into the wild and lose all their equipment and GPs to a rev.
a warning window would popup telling you you were about to enter the wilderness, a dangerous place where other people could attack you, when you came within like 5 spaces of the entrance. At least, it was like that on RSClassic, maybe up until they introduced the ditch on RS2.