[saltcured]

Hah, this is too close to the joke that popped into my head:

Sure, we can explain how this works, you just need to subscribe to our educational series on the topic...

It's all about framing the con in a way that gets past the defense mechanisms the OP assumes. Whether this is done with synthetic intimacy, urgency, exclusivity, high-mindedness, etc. depends on the target victim profile.

But, it's always social engineering. The only 100% defense is to assume a deeply untrusting posture that makes social living nearly impossible.

[schmookeeg]

haha, it's getting dystopian isn't it? At some point you end up letting your guard down just to be a human again -- it's all so exhausting.

While I've been an Econ subscriber in the past when magazines were a thing, the podcast didn't con me into subscribing. _this time_ But I enjoyed their free eps all the same.