Lol, I think that scam has been around for a while. With 99% of these scams you just wonder "how can people fall for this?" but they must fool enough people to make it lucrative for them. My fear is how much more sophisticated these scams will become in the next few years.
I think you're right about the amplification of our individual condition, it's like we get lost in and blinded by the emotions of it all. This book is a really quick read and valuable. It was actually recommended by Elon Musk and now I understand why.