I very nearly fell for a scam (of sorts) a few years ago. Had a date come down with a couple of friends (new person I was 'dating' online for a few weeks) and stay in a hotel, only to learn that the grandfather of one of the friends died the first night they were there, and they all had to rush back to home state, about three hours drive. Only, they had planned on spending the time they were there selling some (really hideous) baskets and blankets and things they'd brought with them (I lived in a tourist destination at the time). Would I mind loaning them the money to drive back? And storing their junk? And letting the person I was 'dating' come back and stay with me in a few weeks to finish selling things and get an apartment?
I did loan them a few $$ (enough to get an average car a couple hundred miles away), but refused to store items. Did agree for the person I was 'dating' to come back in a few weeks. Didn't hear from them for almost a year after I got a 'on my way' call - yes, I spent two weeks frantically calling cops, etc. in the area between there and home. No dice.
I did find out what happened - the 'junk' baskets they were selling were apparently disguising some 'recreational substances' of the herbal variety, and the blankets had some other recreational substances wrapped inside (I had wondered how they planned to get $40 for a hideous lap blanket, but was naive enough to take it at face value). My 'date' got stopped an hour from my house, just across the state line, and the officer called in the narcotics dog, who went nuts. She did call to ask me who I was, as she didn't recognize the phone number on her phone, after she'd been released from jail. Bullet dodged, and lesson learned. I can only blame it on being young and very, very dumb.