Working for your money ~ what a concept!

Everything seemed normal, even his picture was cute. "Loving, caring and hardworking," the online dating profile said. She was flattered when he asked her to chat. They began exchanging e-mails which became intimate in a short period of time. On Valentine's Day, she received chocolates, a teddy bear, and an “I love you” balloon. She felt for sure this was real. He said he was from a city in Massachusetts, but that he was out of the country on a big construction job. He was doing some work in Nigeria, and said he would come visit her in Ohio as soon as he could get back. Two more months of emails before there was a problem. He said his boss paid him in postal money orders, and he was having trouble cashing them. He asked her if she would cash the money order for him, then wire the money to him in Nigeria. She agreed, and over the next two weeks, she cashed two $900 money orders and sent along the funds. He then told her he was ready to leave the country, but needed money to deal with a visa problem. She cashed another money order. Then, her bank called her. Something was wrong. The bank told her the money orders had been altered — they were purchased for $20, but then "washed" and doctored to read $900 — she still held out hope. But a friend pointed her to an Internet site devoted to Nigerian scams, and suddenly, her world crashed down around her. The bank told her she was responsible for that money. She had to pay them $2,700, which was everything she had. She was devastated. She shared her version of events with MSNBC.com in the hopes that others might not fall for the same trickery. He spent four months gaining her trust. So-called Nigerian scams, where victims are ultimately tricked into sending money to the African country using some irreversible method like a wire transfer, are common. The Secret Service and other U.S. agencies have issued warnings on the scams, also known as "419" or "advance-fee" frauds. But there was a seductive flavor of this type scam — known to some as "sweetheart scams". It is amazing the incredible patience the scammer will have. It shows what lengths the con artist will go to cheat someone. It also goes to show you what lengths people will go to trying to meet others. Once you are out of school, it is hard to meet “mr. or miss right”. It seems that people are willing to go to great distances to find the right one. What a scam! However, this is not a novel idea; there have been hugely successful scams over telephones and through the mail. Seems like there have been numerous scams against the elderly and their social security checks. The types of scams out there are endless!
I would like to think I am not someone who would fall prey to a scam like that, but in order for us to not fall into that trap, are we not to trust anyone? I detest the idea that we have to be skeptical of so much these days. Is it just a sign of the times? Are people not as trustworthy as they were in the past? Or, are we now exposed to more ways that people can deceive? What ever happened to the concept of working for your money? It is just mind boggling to me.