Some people can’t be saved from their own stupidity.

Do you recall the article from a couple of years ago about a woman who put her life savings in a shoebox and gave it to scammers? She claims that she never thought she would fall for something like that, but scammers can manipulate otherwise intelligent people into doing incredibly foolish things. 

I have yet to be in a situation where I’ve felt compelled to give all my money away to random people, but if someone is threatening you or telling you that you’ll get back double the money you put in, you might feel inclined to believe them. How many people are convinced that they’re going to make back the money they put into sports betting, despite there being no evidence that that’s the case? There are scams all around us at all times, and we must be mindful that even if we were above average in school, we’re not too smart to be taken advantage of in this way. It’s hard to see someone resist help when they’re actively getting scammed, especially older, vulnerable family members.