Cardiff, great point, scams often require trust. Familiarity or similarity is the favored route. Race and Religion are common factors, many victims of any scam are lulled into it because the scammer has something in common with them in order to break down their defenses. Even most crimes are commited within one’s social, racial or religious group because people let down their guard when dealing with one of their own.

Conned, don;t worry about raising too much money for the education campaign to protect others, I’ll give you the entire program for free. It’s a two step, 30 second program.

“Don’t buy what you can’t afford.”

“Always look for investments, never let them look for you.”

You can even perform a scientific test with a small sum of money, let’s say $200. Invest $100 in something you find (an account or bond at the bank, a stock or index fund that you research and buy online) and invest the other $100 in something an a friend, aquaintance or telemarketer presents to you when you weren’t looking for it. After five years, see which one has more value, it will be the one you found and not the one that found you. $200 and you will have learned more than I learned in college, try it.