I think it's more of a sign of financial desperation, in many cases, than wanting to be suckered in a con game.  People from rural areas, in my admittedly-limited experience, are taking the biggest hit in today's "booming" (hahaha) economy.  The coastal cities are doing fine, despite being ground zero for the housing bubble, and they always will, because they're always going to have something to offer the world economy -- if nothing else, a lot of consumers with high levels of education and diversified economies.  Life is not so easy for the rural areas of the country.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.